Supreme Court Rejects Bid To Release Embattled IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu

The Supreme Court today rejected a plea for the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu, the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The apex court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim but written by Justice Garba Lawal, voided the October 2022 ruling by the Court of Appeal that ordered Kanu’s release and voided terrorism charges against him.

While acknowledging the Nigerian government’s “reckless and unlawful” rendition of Kanu from Kenya, the Supreme Court declared that this act did not strip any court of its jurisdiction to proceed with the trial.

Justice Lawal noted that the suit seeking Kanu’s release solely based on his unlawful abduction lacked legal merit within Nigerian law. He further stated that, at present, Kanu’s remedy for such an injustice lies in filing a separate civil action against the perpetrators rather than seeking to impede his ongoing criminal trial.

He, however, ordered that Kanu should go and defend himself in the remaining 7 counts of terrorism charges against him.