ABUJA, Nigeria – The Supreme Court has once again postponed the hearing of the case brought forth by the leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.
The hearing has been adjourned until September 14, 2023, marking another delay in a case that has drawn international attention to the issue of indigenous rights and national sovereignty.
Mr. Kanu, a prominent secessionist, originally appealed to the Supreme Court on November 3, 2022.
He was challenging the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had halted the action of the Department of State Services, DSS.
The appellate court had previously issued a stay of execution on its earlier judgment on October 28, 2023.
That judgment had acquitted Mr. Kanu of all charges and demanded his release from the DSS headquarters.
However, the stay effectively kept Mr. Kanu in DSS custody despite the acquittal.
Recall that the Supreme Court had heard the case on April 27, 2023, but adjourned the matter to Thursday, May 11, 2023.
Legal analysts and followers of the case have expressed frustration at the continual delays.
“The Supreme Court’s constant deferral of this hearing is troubling,” says Jonathan Bell, a constitutional law professor at Columbia University.
“It suggests a hesitance to address the complex legal and political issues surrounding the IPOB and Mr. Kanu’s case.”
The IPOB, under Mr. Kanu’s leadership, has been a controversial force, advocating for the secession of a region they refer to as Biafra from Nigeria.
This has placed them in direct conflict with the Nigerian government, leading to their designation as an outlawed group.
The Supreme Court’s decision to postpone the hearing again has further fueled the already heated discussions surrounding the case.
As the world watches, the question of Mr. Kanu’s fate and the future of the IPOB continues to hang in the balance.
