A Nigerian judge has dismissed a bid to free separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu, ruling on Friday that prosecutors have laid out sufficient grounds for him to face trial on terrorism charges.
Kanu, head of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement, has long pushed for independence for Nigeria’s southeast. The ruling affirms the government’s position that it has built a case against him, despite his defense arguing otherwise.
The decision comes more than a year after Nigeria’s Supreme Court reinstated the terrorism counts. Kanu, who holds dual Nigerian and British citizenship, has endured years of legal battles. He was first detained in 2015 on terrorism and treason accusations, fled the country after jumping bail in 2017, and was later rearrested in 2021 through a controversial operation that drew him back from another African country.
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Kanu maintains his innocence, insisting the charges are politically motivated. Supporters say his prosecution is part of a wider attempt to suppress IPOB’s separatist drive. IPOB’s campaign recalls the secessionist Republic of Biafra, whose failed attempt to break away between 1967 and 1970 triggered a civil war that left an estimated one million people dead, largely from famine in the southeast.
Delivering his ruling, Judge James Omotosho stated, “The defendant ought to enter some explanation.” He added, “This is not to say that the defendant is guilty as charged, but an opportunity to give him a fair hearing and allow him to exhaust his chances of explaining himself. This no-case submission is overruled, and the defendant is hereby required to enter his defense.”
Violence has persisted in the southeast, with many killings blamed on IPOB, although the group denies responsibility. Meanwhile, another separatist figure, Simon Ekpa, who gained influence after Kanu’s arrest, was sentenced in Finland last month to six years in prison for terrorism and tax fraud.
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