The legal team representing Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has announced its intention to seek his release on bail pending the determination of his trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Kanu’s lawyers are aiming to secure his bail on February 26, coinciding with the resumption date of his terrorism trial at the Federal High Court.
Kanu has been in detention since June 2021 when he was detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) on the orders of the Nigerian Government following his extradition from Kenya. Although the Appeal Court initially discharged and acquitted Kanu of terrorism charges, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling in December 2023, returning the case to the Abuja Federal High Court for further trial proceedings.
The legal team of IPOB is basing Kanu’s bail application on several grounds, including his lack of privacy during meetings with his lawyers, which they argue infringes on his constitutional right to counsel and hampers his defense preparation. Additionally, they highlight Kanu’s medical conditions, including heart ailment, hypertension, and potassium deficiency, which they claim pose life-threatening risks.
In a court document with suit no: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, IPOB’s legal team outlined their request for bail, citing relevant sections of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and seeking “an order of this Honourable Court admitting the Applicant/Defendant to bail pending the determination of his trial.”
The motion on notice brought forward by the legal team seeks the court’s intervention for bail on liberal and non-excessive terms, along with any further orders deemed necessary by the court in the circumstances.
