Nigeria’s Supreme Court has made a significant decision regarding separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu, overturning a previous judgment from 2022 that had ordered his release. The court has ruled that Kanu should remain in prison and that his terrorism trial at a lower federal court should proceed.
As a result of this decision, Nnamdi Kanu will continue to be held by the Nigerian secret police until the government determines a date for the continuation of his trial. Kanu is recognized as the leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) group, which advocates for the establishment of an independent state in the south-eastern region of Nigeria.
Initially arrested in 2015 on charges of treason and terrorism, which he contested, Kanu fled Nigeria while on bail. In 2021, he was extradited from Kenya to Nigeria, despite holding a UK passport.
The Nigerian authorities have attributed various attacks on police stations and government buildings in the south-east to Ipob, an association that the group vehemently denies. The Supreme Court’s recent ruling underscores the ongoing legal challenges and complexities surrounding Nnamdi Kanu’s case.
