A Magistrate’s Court in Kuje, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has ordered the remand of Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, lead counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, and Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the IPOB leader’s brother, along with ten other defendants, at the Nigerian Correctional Service facility in Kuje.
The group was arraigned following a protest in Abuja by supporters of Nnamdi Kanu, during which they were accused of inciting disturbance and breaching public peace.
According to the charge sheet, the defendants allegedly blocked traffic, restricted free movement, and chanted war songs while calling for Kanu’s release.
From custody, Barrister Ejimakor described the proceedings as “questionable,” alleging that the magistrate declined to hear the defence before ordering that the group be remanded until Friday.
Several legal and human rights observers have expressed concern over the speed and venue of the trial, noting that the matter was taken directly to the Kuje court even though other magistrates in Abuja could have presided.
In reaction, former Senate President Adolphus Wabara condemned the arrests and called for the immediate release of Ejimakor, Prince Kanu, and the others. He argued that the action infringes on their constitutional right to peaceful protest, warning that such measures could further heighten tensions in the South-East region.
The remand order adds a new twist to the ongoing agitation for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who remains in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) despite multiple court rulings granting him bail.