Supreme Court Declines To Release Nnamdi Kanu

The Supreme Court has declined to order the release of secessionist and leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, from detention by the Nigerian government.

In a judgment written by Justice Garba Lawal and delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim on Friday, December 15, 2023, the Nigerian apex court voided and dismissed the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which ordered the release of the IPOB leader in October 2022 and cancelled the terrorism charges labelled against him by the government.

However, the court acknowledged that the government was reckless and unlawful in Kanu’s rendition from Kenya in June 2021, but said that the act was not capable of hindering the continuation of the trial.

Related: Move Nnamdi Kanu To A Prison In Eastern Nigeria- IPOB Tells Government

Further, Justice Lawal said that no law in Nigeria supports the release of Kanu on the basis of unlawful abduction from Kenya and insisted that the IPOB leader should file a civil case against the government’s action instead of seeking to hinder the continuation of his trial on that ground.

The Supreme Court also asked Kanu to defend himself from the seven counts of terrorism charged against him by the government.

Kanu’s detention since 2021 has not gone down well with Biafran apologists in southern Nigeria, as they believe that every region has the right to peacefully seek secession from the country.

Analysts say Kanu’s detention is critical to ensuring that the southeast, which is already facing huge threats of insecurity, gains some form of stability. However, analysts have also called for dialogue between the federal government and secessionists.