Nnamdi Kanu files fresh suit to halt alleged right violations

Detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has initiated fresh legal actions to challenge what his legal team describes as persistent violations of his constitutional rights.

Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, stated this in a press statement released on Thursday that two separate suits had been filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to compel authorities to respect due process in his ongoing case.

Ejimakor said the first suit, numbered CV/875/25, seeks to enforce Kanu’s right to a fair hearing and trial within a reasonable time. In the alternative, the suit demands his unconditional release.

The second suit, M/3224/2025, is an application for a writ of mandamus, seeking to compel authorities to conduct Kanu’s trial under the law. This includes a demand for the transfer of the case to the Southeast, where his lawyers argue it should have been instituted originally.

Ejimakor stated that these legal steps were necessary due to the “several unconstitutional and unlawful actions” that have characterized Kanu’s case since Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako recused herself on September 24, 2024.

According to Ejimakor among the grievances listed were the refusal to reassign the case to a new judge, the controversial return of the case to the same judge who had stepped down, and authorities’ failure to commence trial within a reasonable period.

“These actions by the authorities constitute a grave miscarriage of justice,” Ejimakor said, emphasizing that Kanu has remained in detention for nearly four years without a fair trial.

Kanu’s prolonged incarceration and legal battles have remained a contentious issue, fueling debates over judicial independence, human rights, and political considerations in Nigeria’s legal system.