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Nnamdi Kanu Remanded To Prison Today

January 20, 2016

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has today ordered that Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and Director of Radio Biafra, be taken from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) and remanded to Kuje prison in Abuja.

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has today ordered that Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and Director of Radio Biafra, be taken from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) and remanded to Kuje prison in Abuja.

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Mr. Kanu has been in detention since October 2015 when he was arrested in Lagos by DSS agents.

Mr. Kanu was initially abducted and detained without formal charges by the DSS for several weeks, during which he was not given medical or legal counsel. Later, the Nigerian government charged Mr. Kanu with maintaining an unlawful society, treason, among others.

It will be recalled that on December 17th, 2015 Justice Adeniyi Ademola faulted the DSS for detaining Mr. Kanu without trial for two months. Mr. Kanu was also rearrested on December 22nd after the court authorized his release.

The presiding judge, Justice James Tsoho, today ruled against the request by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Diri, that Mr. Kanu be kept in DSS custody.

Vincent Obetta, the lawyer for Mr. Kanu, told a SaharaReporters correspondent by phone that “charges were made against Mr. Kanu and two other accused people today, and the judge remanded him to prison.”

Mr. Obetta added that “court is adjourned until January 25th while we work on a bail application” for Mr. Kanu.