FG withdraws motion to transfer Kanu’s case from Umuahia to Abuja

The Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia, yesterday, granted the application of Federal Government to transfer Nnamdi Kanu’s subsisting extraordinary rendition case from Umuahia to Abuja.

Kanu’s Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, had, in March 2022, filed a suit before the Federal High Court, Umuahia, challenging Kanu’s extraordinary rendition from Kenya to Nigeria on June 19, 2021.

The Federal Government, in its response to the suit, through the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), filed an objection to hearing the suit in Umuahia on the ground that Abuja Division of the court is the proper forum.

But in conceding to the objections raised by Ejimakor, the lawyer from the AGF’s office, Simon Enock, made an oral withdrawal application on the prompting of the court that the application was misconceived.

Following the withdrawal, the court proceeded to hear the case on its merits before reserving its Judgment for October 27, 2022.

In his submissions, Ejimakor contended that Kanu’s transfer from Kenya to Nigeria constituted an “impermissible act of extraordinary rendition that violated laws of Nigeria,” Kenya and international law, noting that it amounted to violation of Kanu’s fundamental rights under the African Charter and Chapter Four of the Nigerian Constitution.”

Countering Ejimakor, the AGF’s lawyer claimed that Kanu was “intercepted in Kenya because he jumped bail,” which Ejimakor countered, insisting that “interception is not a permissible mode of transferring an alleged fugitive from one country to another.”

According to Ejimakor, the issue of jumping bail by Kanu was resolved in his favour by the Abia State High Court, which, he recalled, had awarded Kanu N1 million as compensation for the military attack that had compelled him to leave Nigeria.

After listening to submissions from the opposing counsel, the court reserved its judgment for October 27, 2022, despite Federal Government’s request that the judgment be rendered in November, which Ejimakor opposed.