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Nigerian court denies separatist leader Kanu bail, orders trial

Nigerian court denies separatist leader Kanu bail, orders trial

A Nigerian federal court denied separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu bail and instead ordered an accelerated trial of a pending seven-count terrorism charge against him. Kanu, a British citizen who leads the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement, disappeared from Nigeria after skipping bail in 2017. He was arrested in Kenya in 2021 and charged in Nigeria with terrorism. In December, Nigeria's Supreme Court overturned a judgement by a lower court that dropped the terrorism charges against Kanu, setting the stage for his trial to commence. "I will respond to all charges and the court will see that they are all lies,"…
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Nigeria Supreme Court blocks release of separatist leader Kanu

Nigeria Supreme Court blocks release of separatist leader Kanu

NIGERIA'S Supreme Court overturned a judgment by a lower court that dropped terrorism charges against separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu, ruling that trial on the charges should continue. Kanu, a British citizen who leads the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), disappeared from Nigeria after skipping bail in 2017. He was arrested in Kenya in 2021 and charged with terrorism. Friday's ruling by Judge Lawal Garba reinstating Kanu's seven-count terrorism trial at a lower federal court has effectively extended his detention, which began two years ago after his arrest. "Even though illegalities were committed with the deployment of brutal force to…
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Biafran separatist leader’s brother loses London court challenge against UK

Biafran separatist leader’s brother loses London court challenge against UK

JAILED Biafran separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu's family lost a legal challenge against the British government in a London court over his continuing detention in Nigeria. Kanu's brother, Kingsley Kanu, brought a judicial review against Britain's Foreign Office over its alleged refusal to acknowledge that Nnamdi Kanu, who holds Nigerian and British citizenship, was the victim of extraordinary rendition from Kenya to Nigeria in June 2021. Kingsley Kanu's lawyers argued that the Foreign Office should reach a conclusive view on whether his brother was the victim of extraordinary rendition in order to properly assess what steps to take to assist Kanu.…
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Nigeria appeals court decision to free separatist leader Kanu

Nigeria appeals court decision to free separatist leader Kanu

THE Nigerian government has approached the Supreme Court to overturn a Court of Appeal ruling that freed separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu and dropped terrorism charges against him. Last week the appeal court ordered that Kanu be discharged, saying the government did not follow due process in his extradition to Nigeria from Kenya and that the federal court did not have jurisdiction to try the case. The government had been considering what steps to take after the appeal court ruling.  On Friday, government lawyers said the state had appealed to the Supreme Court, saying the appeal court did not consider the…
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Nigerian court drops terrorism charges against separatist leader Kanu

Nigerian court drops terrorism charges against separatist leader Kanu

CAMILLUS EBOH NIGERIA'S Court of Appeal dropped terrorism charges against separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu that had been brought by the government, in a unanimous decision by all three judges hearing the case. The lead judge dismissed a seven-count charge of terrorism against Kanu and discharged him, citing that a lower court had no jurisdiction to try the case and that Kanu was abducted and extraordinarily extradited to Nigeria. The two other judges concurred with the ruling. Kanu was not in the courtroom for the ruling. "In view of the fact that the trial court lacks jurisdiction to hear this case…
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Nigerian separatist leader faces terrorism charges

Nigerian separatist leader faces terrorism charges

CAMILLUS EBOH NIGERIA'S separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu should stand trial and answer to charges that include terrorism and broadcasting falsehoods, a High Court judge ruled. Kanu, a British citizen who leads the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), denies all the charges, which are linked to broadcasts he made between 2018 and last year. A judge on Friday ruled that Kanu will stand trial on seven counts of terrorism out of 15, and stuck out eight of the charges which the government brought against the IPOB leader. The hearing was held in camera. A federal court judge ruled on Thursday…
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Nigeria to hear all terrorism trials in secret, judge rules

Nigeria to hear all terrorism trials in secret, judge rules

CAMILLUS EBOH A federal judge ruled that all trials of terrorism cases in Nigeria will henceforth be held in camera. In a statement titled "new practice directions on hearing of terrorism cases", Justice John Terhemba Tsoho also said coverage of any part of such proceedings would be prohibited. He said the new ruling was designed to ensure the security and safety of all parties and members of the public and ensuring fair trials. Separately, the leader of a banned separatist movement charged with terrorism offences filed a suit alleging that he cannot be tried because he was illegally extradited from…
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Nigerian‌ ‌court‌ ‌frees ‌alleged‌ ‌separatist‌ ‌

Nigerian‌ ‌court‌ ‌frees ‌alleged‌ ‌separatist‌ ‌

A Nigerian court has ordered the immediate release of a woman held in detention since February accused of being a member of a banned separatist organisation, her lawyer said. The court in Abuja ruled that the police had illegally detained Ngozi Umeadi and ordered it to pay her damages of 50 million naira ($121,500), lawyer Ejiofor Ifeanyi said. Nigerian authorities routinely detain people for months or years without charge. Umeadi was accused of being a member of the Indigenous People of Biafra, which campaigns for the southeastern region to secede. Nigerian authorities blame it for attacks on police stations and…
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Biafran separatist ask to be freed, to go to UK

Biafran separatist ask to be freed, to go to UK

THE detained leader of a separatist group in Nigeria has filed a lawsuit alleging that he was illegally transferred from Kenya to Nigeria and demanding he is freed and allowed to go to Britain, according to media reports citing legal documents. Nnamdi Kanu, who holds British citizenship, leads the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group which campaigns for part of southeastern Nigeria to secede and has been labelled a terrorist organisation by the Nigerian authorities. Kanu spent two years in jail in Nigeria but disappeared after he was freed on bail in April 2017. He was re-arrested in June this…
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Detained Biafra separatist’s family complain to UK over lack of assistance

Detained Biafra separatist’s family complain to UK over lack of assistance

THE family of Nnamdi Kanu, a secessionist leader and British citizen who is detained in Nigeria, has accused Britain of failing to provide him with consular assistance, the family's London lawyers said on Thursday. Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group that campaigns for part of southeastern Nigeria to secede, was brought back to Nigeria in June after years on the run abroad and is being held pending a treason trial. Bindmans, a London law firm, said it had sent a pre-action letter to British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on behalf of Kanu's family, challenging Britain's failure…
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