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BBC News
21-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Wetin to expect as Nnamdi Kanu terrorism trial begin afresh today
Di trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of di Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) go start afresh dis Friday for di Federal High Court in Abuja, one of im lawyers don confam to BBC. Na Justice James Omotosho go dey in charge of dis case now, afta Nnamdi Kanu ask Justice Binta Nyako to withdraw hersef from di matter wen Kanu accuse her of partiality. Nigeria goment dey accuse Kanu of terrorism and attempts to bring down goment, sake of di activities of Ipob, a group wey dey agitate to break away from di south eastern region of Nigeria to become independent kontri wey im name go be Biafra. Goment bin don declare di group as terrorist organisation in 2017. Kanu chief defense counsel Aloy Ejimakor post on X last week say "we dey primed and ready" for di trial. Wetin dey expected to happen in court Wen a new judge take over a case wey bin din dey go on, e no matter how far di case bin don go, di matter go start again from di beginning. And di beginning na di arraignment, wia dem go read out di charges for di person to plead guilty or not guilty. So dis na wetin dey expected to happen today. For Nnamdi Kanu matter di charges against am now dey seven. Di charges bin dey 15 but di former Judge, Binta Nyako, bin strike out eight of dem. Dis na di remaining charges: So, afta Kanu plead guilty or not guilty, di prosecution fit ask for di trial to resume but di defence team dey likely to apply for bail for Kanu bicos na wetin dem bin don dey try to achieve for a long time wen Binta Nyako dey in charge of di case. Nyako bin insist say Kanu bin jump bail in 2017 afta e run from Nigeria wen she bin grant am bail on health grounds, but Kanu lawyers maintain say e no jump bail rather e run for im life. Brief background As di leader of di secessionist group Ipob, Kanu, wey bin base for London, dey always talk about how di south east region suppose pull out for Nigeria and be dia own kontri. Im major platform na Radio Biafra wey also dey based for London, Britain, and im social media platforms. For October 2015, men of di Department of State Services, DSS, bin first arrest am as e come into Nigeria. Dat time na wen Muhammadu Buhari be president of Nigeria. Goment charge am to court for treason - togeda wit four oda pipo - ontop accuse say e dey use im Radio Biafra to dey talk tins wey fit destabilise Nigeria and bring down goment. Kanu dey remanded for prison for Kuje, Abuja until April 2017 wen justice Binta Nyako grant am bail bicos say im health bin dey fail, but she attach conditions say make Kanu no address di press and make e no dey for gathering of pipo wey pass 10. Di bail dey in di sum of N100 million wit three sureties, one of dem go be pesin wey im position high for goment; current Abia State senator Enyinnaya Abaribe na one of di pipo we stand surety for Kanu dat time. Kanu go later disappear from di public afta e tok say soldiers bin attack im house to kill am during one security operation wey dem call Operation Python Dance. Dat attack, according to Kanu, and di trauma wey follow am, na im lead to di death of im papa and mama wey bin die within two months of each oda - in October and December of 2019 respectively. Kanu later reappear in October 2018 wen pictures and videos show wia e go pray for di Western Wall of Jerusalem wey be one of di holy sites for Judaism, di religion wey Kanu dey identify wit. E later return to London and continue im agitation for Biafra, until June 2021 wen security forces bin seize am for Kenya and bring am back to Nigeria by force. Im case continue again bifor Justice Binta Nyako wey bin don revoke di bail she bin grant Kanu for 2017. Goment file amended 15-count charges against Kanu wey e plead not guilty to, but Nyako later comot eight of di charges say dem no get head. Kanu lawyers, dat time wey dey led by Mike Ozekhome a senior advocate of Nigeria, carry di matter go Court of Appeal as dem claim say di lower court suppose strike out all di charges. Di appeal court agree wit dem and strike out all di charges, but goment appeal to di Supreme Court wey overturn di judgement and say make di matter return to di High Court.
The Guardian
16-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Brother of British national held in Nigeria says UK has ‘turned its back'
The brother of a British national being held in Nigeria after falling victim to extraordinary rendition has accused the UK government of turning its back, and has called on Starmer to 'wake up' and 'defend British citizens'. Kingsley Kanu, brother of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), a prominent separatist movement proscribed in Nigeria, has said the UK government had failed to intervene in his brother's case. 'Up to this day, the previous government and today's government have not been able to accept or to take the stand and call the Nigerian government to say stop,' said Kingsley, in an interview from Germany. 'They should wake up to defend British citizens. I find it very astonishing.' Nnamdi, a dual national and father of two, had been wanted by Nigerian authorities since 2015, after setting up a digital radio station, Radio Biafra, at his London home, around the time when mass Biafra secessionist protests erupted in Nigeria for the first time since the civil war. He fled while on bail in 2017, after Nigerian security forces stormed his residence in Nigeria in an operation coded 'Python Dance', according to court documents. At least 28 members of Ipob were killed. In 2021, Nnamdi was arrested by Nigerian authorities in Kenya and taken to Nigeria in an act of extraordinary rendition – an unlawful inter-state transfer – family, lawyers, the UN and a Nigerian court have said. He has since pleaded not guilty to 15 criminal charges relating to terrorism and treason, seven of which he still faces. The British government previously faced a legal challenge from Kingsley Kanu over their handling of the case, which was ultimately dismissed. However, the judge had found, citing the Nigerian court, that Nnamdi was subject to extraordinary rendition, despite the refusal by a number of former foreign secretaries to take such a view. In 2023, a UK court of appeal judgment said the government position 'might well be different' if the Nigerian supreme court upheld a ruling by the Nigerian court of appeal that Nnamdi had been extraordinarily rendered. Despite the Nigerian supreme court having now done this, Kingsley said the government has turned its back on his brother. The Nigerian supreme court ruling in December 2023, he said, provides a clear route for the UK government to take action. But Kingsley has yet to hear from Keir Starmer, the fourth prime minister during the period of his brother's detention. A spokesperson from the Foreign Office said: 'We are providing consular support to Mr Kanu and remain in contact with his family and legal representatives. We have raised his case with the Nigerian authorities.' Nnamdi has monthly consular visits, according to his brother, who is able to communicate with him through lawyers and his younger brother. His family and lawyers have previously raised concerns over his treatment, after being held largely in solitary confinement, in poor conditions and without access to medical treatment for a heart condition. 'The high court and Nigeria have spoken,' said Kingsley. 'We have to stand on that, we have to implement that.' The Nigerian embassy has been approached for comment.
