South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal has indefinitely adjourned the appeal of convicted leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Henry Okah, regarding the jurisdiction of a South African court to try him in the first place.
The fallen Nigerian militant was convicted of a 13-count charge of terrorism, related to the bombings at the Eagle Square in Abuja as well as another in Warri, which left a number of casualties in 2010.
Judge Neels Claasen of the South Gauteng High Court had sentenced Okar to 24 years in prison early last year.
Okar in November last year failed in his bid to appeal against the merits of the case but was granted leave to appeal against certain aspects of the case.
The three-point application sought leave to appeal against the jurisdiction of the court to hear counts 1-12, duplication of charges with regard to counts 3 to 8 as well as his conviction on count 13 regarding his allegedly threatening to engage in terrorist activity.
Judge Neels Claassen granted leave to the applicant for the first and last points but denied leave to appeal the aspect of duplication of charges.
•Photo shows Henry Okar.
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