Abia High Court Judgement Paves Way For Reinstatement Of Nnamdi Kanu’s Bail, Ejimakor

The 19th January 2022 judgment of the Abia High Court in favour of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu means that the bail granted the IPOB leader in 2017 subsists.

This is the view of Kanu’s special counsel, Barr Aloy Ejimakor, in a release made available to THE WHISTLER on Sunday.

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Recall that Justice Benson Anya of the Abia High Court had awarded N1bn damages to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu against the federal government.

Barr Ejimakor had approached the court to determine if the invasion of Kanu’s home in 2017 by the military was not an infringement on his right considering that he was on bail.

Justice Anya, in the ruling, told President Muhammadu Buhari to apologise to Kanu as well as seek political solutions to the matter.

Ejimakor, in the release, addressed commentaries concerning the judgement, particularly, the status of Kanu’s bail, which, by the judgement, is still effective.

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Ejimakor stated that, “Most of the commentaries have bordered on examining the latent impacts the judgment may have beyond the monetary award and the apology.

“Of particular note is whether the judgment should directly or indirectly impact the persisting notion that Kanu had jumped bail in 2017, which was what grounded the bench warrant that was used to justify his rendition.

“In summary, the answer is in the affirmative that this landmark judgment has created new legal opportunities for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, especially as regards impeaching the bench warrant that grandfathered his extraordinary rendition.

“You will recall that from late 2017, I had maintained a well-publicized stance that Nnamdi Kanu never jumped bail and that he will, in due course of time, prove that it was the Nigerian government that compelled him to flee and seek refuge outside Nigeria. This was the material issue before the court and it prevailed.

“In particular, the court held that: ‘It is the view of this court that the army set out as pythons to terminate the life of Nnamdi Kanu. The military invasion of his home at Afaraukwu Ibeku is so notorious that this court cannot turn a blind eye to it. He deserves an apology and compensation’.

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“The court impliedly held that Kanu never made a voluntary decision to flee Nigeria or to be absent from his trial.

“To this extent, this judgment has finally obliterated the vested and false notion that Kanu had jumped bail back in 2017.

“Accordingly, the bench warrant upon which his rendition from Kenya was grounded has now become impeachable and liable to be vacated, thus paving the way for his previous bail to be reinstated.”

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