Again, Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyers accuse SSS of denying them access to him

The legal team of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has accused Nigeria’s secret police, the State Security Service (SSS), of blocking the team’s access to the IPOB leader.

Mr Kanu, who is facing terrorism charges, has been in detention since he was repatriated to Nigeria from Kenya in June 2021 under controversial circumstances.

Aloy Ejimakor, special counsel to Mr Kanu, disclosed this in a video clip uploaded on his X handle on Friday.

Mr Ejimakor said the alleged action by the SSS was in violation of court orders and the Nigerian Constitution which provided for the IPOB leader’s freedom to meet with his lawyers.

The special counsel, flanked by three other members of the legal team, said the clip was recorded within the SSS premises in Abuja on Thursday.

He identified the three others in the clip as Nnaemeka Ejiofor, Patrick Agaezi and Mandela Umegbogu – all lawyers.

“All four of us came to the premises of the SSS to meet with our client (Kanu) today,” Mr Ejimakor said in the clip.

The lawyer said they were at the SSS facility to discuss with Mr Kanu the next line of action following the withdrawal of Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja from his trial.

“But we were not allowed by the SSS to meet with our client. We came by a few minutes before 2 p.m. and till now that I am speaking to you, which is a few minutes before 5 p.m., we have not been allowed to meet with our client.

“Our suspicion, which is credible, is that the SSS and the federal government of Nigeria are not happy that our client requested the judge handling this matter to withdraw from handling his case,” he said.

“It appears that the SSS has cancelled all future visitations to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as a retaliation against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu for chasing away Justice Binta Nyako from the case and causing her embarrassment,” the lawyer wrote on X.

Mr Ejimakor said the latest development was similar to previous actions by the SSS and the Nigerian government which has now complicated the IPOB leader’s trial.

He argued that such actions were responsible for Mr Kanu’s growing frustration with the trial and eventual loss of confidence in Mrs Nyako’s handling of the case.

“What this means is that the SSS, acting on behalf of the federal government of Nigeria, has unlawfully isolated Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from his lawyers, thus making his solitary confinement absolute,” Mr Ejimakor further wrote.

“I don’t know when next, if ever, it may be possible to see Mazi Nnamdi Kanu again.”

PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately get a response from the SSS. The secret police recently redeployed its spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, without announcing a replacement.

Background

This is not the first time the SSS would prevent lawyers from meeting with Mr Kanu.

The secret police, for instance, allegedly prevented some lawyers from seeing the IPOB leader in 2021. A similar incident reoccurred in 2022, about a year later.

Mr Kanu was first arrested in 2015 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, on 13 October 2022, ruled that the IPOB leader was extraordinarily renditioned to Nigeria and that the action was a flagrant violation of the country’s extradition treaty and also a breach of his fundamental human rights.

The court, therefore, struck out the terrorism charges filed against Mr Kanu by the Nigerian government and ordered his release from the facility of the SSS.

But the government refused to release the IPOB leader, insisting that he (Kanu) could be unavailable in subsequent court proceedings if released, and that his release would cause insecurity in the South-east, where he comes from.

The government, through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, later appealed the court ruling and subsequently obtained an order from the Supreme Court staying its execution.

Delivering judgement on the appeal on 15 December 2023, the Supreme Court reversed the acquittal granted to Mr Kanu by the lower court and consequently ordered continuation of his trial at the Federal High Court Abuja.