The running battle between the Nigerian government and Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, rages on as Kanu’s application for bail will be heard by an Abuja court next month.
British national Kanu was arrested in Kenya and forcefully extradited to Nigeria in June 2021. Since then he has been in detention in custody of the Department of State Services, DSS, despite a Court of Appeal judgement on 13 October 2022, ordering his release.
The authorities, who are unwilling to let Kanu go, are charging him with terrorism and treason. Nigeria’s Supreme Court overruled the judgement of the lower court on 15 December 2023.
After his several attempts at getting bail hit the rocks, Kanu filed a fresh bail application on health grounds before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.
“The defendant has a very serious health condition. He also has high blood pressure. The injury sustained in Kenya and they are before the record of this court is still there. Recently, he has had an illness relating to the heart. To continue to detain him is a threat to his life,” Kanu’s counsel, Alloy Ejimakor told the court.
But Ejimakor’s appeal was opposed by Adegboyega Awomolo, the federal government’s counsel.
“I am opposing the bail. They are taking care of him. He has been given drugs. He did not satisfy that condition. Nothing extraordinary, scientific, and medically provable to show that he is entitled to bail for the crime he is facing,” Awomolo argued.
After listening to both sides, Binta Nyako, the trial judge, fixed 19 March for ruling on the bail application and 20 March for the continuation of the trial, prolonging Kanu’s continued incarceration.
