In a court verdict on Monday, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja denied Nnamdi Kanu, the arrested leader of the Biafra nation agitators, a new bail request.
Kanu has requested that his revoked bail be reinstated and that he be removed from the Department of State Services (DSS) custody and placed in home arrest or prison custody.
In her verdict, Justice Nyako observed that Kanu had already escaped bail and departed the country. “The same request had been brought before me by Mr. Kanu and was dismissed for lack of merit,” she said. The Judge emphasized that the sureties who had previously stood for Kanu’s bail were released after claiming they could not find him.
“The only option left for Mr. Kanu is to go to the Court of Appeal,” Justice Nyako said, recommending Kanu to use his right to appeal to the appellate court.
She also rejected Kanu’s lead counsel’s claim about a Supreme Court ruling, saying, “I reviewed the Supreme Court judgment, and I did not find any indication that the earlier bail granted to Mr. Kanu ought not to have been revoked.”
During the court hearings, Kanu sharply criticized his trial and the Federal Government’s counsel, Asiwaju Solomon Awomolo SAN. He accused Awomolo of breaking the law and dubbed him a “terrorist” for carrying out a trial that he believed violated international treaties.
“Anything you do to the contrary is an act of terrorism,” Kanu warned, claiming that the Supreme Court had deemed his forced rendition from Kenya unconstitutional and that his trial breached both Nigeria’s Constitution and international law.
Kanu’s words: “Terrorism Prohibition Act says I cannot be tried in Nigeria. I can never be tried in any court of law in Nigeria. That is what the law says.
“Anybody coming to try me is a terrorist. That is what the law says. Section 2(3)(f) of Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act says that any court trying to try me is committing an act of terrorism.
“You cannot violate a treaty that Nigeria entered into and come to try that person. It is not done anywhere in the world. That is why there is all these ridiculous delays.
“The Supreme Court said that I did not jump bail. My home was invaded. They came to kill me and I survived. They came to Kenya to kidnap me, brought me back to this country and seeking to try me, which the law says cannot happen.”
Kanu’s impassioned protests underline continued tensions and the controversial character of his trial, which has received widespread attention both locally and abroad.
The decision to retain Kanu in DSS custody reflects the judiciary’s view on his earlier conduct as well as the gravity with which his case is being handled.
As the court fights continue, the focus is on Kanu’s next step, as his legal team is anticipated to appeal the ruling. This case has larger consequences for international law, human rights, and the integrity of Nigeria’s judicial system.