“I’ll Remain in Detention for Life Until an Impartial Judge Takes Over My Case” – Nnamdi Kanu

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has declared his willingness to remain in detention indefinitely unless his case is handled by an impartial judge. In an open letter, Kanu alleged that since his extraordinary rendition from Kenya to Nigeria in 2021, there has been a consistent pattern of executive and judicial fraud aimed at denying him a fair trial.

Kanu is currently facing terrorism-related charges before Justice Binta Nyako of the Abuja Federal High Court. Despite a ruling by the Court of Appeal in Abuja that discharged and acquitted him of all charges, the Nigerian government has refused to grant his freedom. His case has been marked by a series of legal disputes, including his challenge to Justice Nyako’s handling of the matter. Although she recused herself, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, John Tsoho, insisted that she continue. Recently, Justice Nyako indefinitely adjourned his trial.

In his open letter, Kanu recounted legal decisions that, in his view, should have led to his release. He referenced a 2017 Federal High Court ruling that IPOB was not an unlawful group, a decision he claims was later undermined by the Nigerian government through a secretive legal maneuver. Additionally, he cited an October 2022 Federal High Court judgment declaring his rendition and detention unconstitutional, ordering his release and compensation—orders that were ignored by the government.

Kanu also pointed to an October 2022 Court of Appeal ruling, which criticized the Nigerian government’s actions as “executive lawlessness” and stated that his extraordinary rendition stripped courts of the jurisdiction to try him. However, he alleges that the government manipulated the judicial process to reverse this ruling, leaving him in detention. In December 2023, the Supreme Court returned his case to the Federal High Court for trial but also noted that his bail should not have been revoked, suggesting judicial bias in previous decisions.

According to Kanu, his case has been deliberately kept away from judges who might rule against the government. He insists he will not submit to a trial under a judge whose jurisdiction does not meet constitutional standards, even if it means spending the rest of his life in detention.