The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leveled accusations on Friday, asserting that Nigerian courts are actively assisting the Federal Government in the “illegal” detention of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, since 2021.
According to IPOB, the courts conducted a secret trial of Kanu and ordered his remand in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), rather than the Nigerian Correctional Centre, in collaboration with the Nigerian Government. The group alleged that these actions violated legal provisions by allowing Kanu’s trial to extend beyond the stipulated 90 days.
In a statement by IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, it was emphasized that Kanu has no case with the DSS and should not be in the custody of the secret police.
The statement highlighted key points, stating, “The courts are aiding and abetting the Federal Government’s illegal detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. First, sequel to the infamous extraordinary rendition that saw him to Nigeria, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was (on 29th June 2021) secretly arraigned and without the benefit of his counsel of record before the Federal High Court, Abuja…”
The group contended that Kanu’s detention violated legal statutes, including the Nigeria Prisons Act and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. It further claimed that the secrecy surrounding Kanu’s arraignment and the failure to renew his initial detention after 90 days were additional illegalities.
IPOB argued that Kanu’s case was with the Federal Republic of Nigeria and questioned his detention by the DSS, stating, “Kanu has no case with the DSS. So, he has no business being detained by the DSS. Kanu’s case is with the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in which case he ought to be regarded as an awaiting trial inmate who should not be detained in a security agency cell but in a proper correctional facility…”
The group concluded by alleging that the court ordered Kanu’s detention by the DSS as a punitive measure, acknowledging the DSS’s complicity in his alleged rendition and torture in Kenya.”