Nigeria’s Court of Appeal on Thursday dropped terrorism charges against separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu that had been brought by the government, in a unanimous decision by all three judges hearing the case, Reuters reported.
The lead judge dismissed a seven count charge of terrorism against Kanu and discharged him, citing that a lower court had no jurisdiction to try the case and that Kanu was abducted and extraordinarily extradited to Nigeria.
“In view of the fact that the trial court lacks jurisdiction to hear this case because the process of extradition of the appellant from Kenya to Nigeria was unlawful since due process was not followed, this appeal succeeds,” the lead judge, Justice Oludotun Adefope Okojie, said.
Kanu leads the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which campaigns for the secession of a part of southeastern Nigeria where the majority belong to the Igbo ethnic group. Nigerian authorities have labeled IPOB a terrorist organisation.