A federal high court in Abuja has declined to grant bail to Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), as he faces a seven-count terrorism charge. Presiding judge Binta Nyako, while refusing bail, has ordered an expedited hearing of the charges against Kanu.
Kanu, who was extradited in June 2020, has been facing terrorism charges filed by the federal government. In April 2022, Judge Nyako struck out eight of the 15 counts in the charge. Subsequently, on October 13, 2022, the court of appeal quashed the remaining seven counts and ordered Kanu’s release.
However, on October 28, 2022, the court of appeal granted a stay of execution on its decision to discharge Kanu, following an appeal filed by the federal government at the supreme court. The apex court, on December 15, 2023, reversed the appeal court’s verdict and directed Kanu to resume trial before the federal high court.
