The National Judicial Council, NJC, has debunked the report that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, ordered the immediate release and repatriation of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, back to Kenya.
The council, in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday, described the report as the figment of imagination of the writer, stressing that the CJN has nothing to do with Kanu’s case.
“The Council wishes to state that the media report is false and figment of imagination of the writer, as there are no Court proceedings, decision or judgment where such statements ascribed to His Lordship was made.
“The Council categorically emphasizes that the Hon CJN neither preside over any Case of Kanu at the Apex Court, where jurisdiction issue was argued nor makes any such pronouncement.
“His Lordship, the Hon CJN never wrote any formal letter to the Kenya Government or Kenya High Commission apologising on the issue of arrest of Nnamdi Kanu and trial.
“The Council urges members of the public to disregard the fake story,” the statement, which was signed by the NJC’s Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Ogedengbe, read.
Meanwhile, Kanu, who is answering to a seven-count treasonable felony charge the federal government initiated against him, is scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday.
He is billed to take a fresh plea before a new judge, Justice James Omotosho, who was handed the case file after the previous trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, recused herself following Kanu’s allegation that she was biased.
Counsel to the embattled IPOB leader, Alloy Ejimakor, earlier applauded the CJN for a swift intervention he said led to the reassignment of his client’s case to a new judge, despite initial refusal of the Chief Judge of the High Court, Justice John Tsoho, to do so.
