Nigerian separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu was denied bail for the second time in two months on Monday. Judge Binta Murtala Nyako also rejected his request to be transferred from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) to a regular prison.
Kanu, a British citizen who leads the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was first arrested in 2015 but fled Nigeria while on bail in 2017. He was re-arrested in Kenya in 2021 and faces seven counts of terrorism charges, which he denies.
Kanu claims he didn’t violate his bail in 2017, stating he feared for his life after soldiers raided his home. However, Judge Nyako cited his previous escape as justification for denying his current request.
The decision sparked a dramatic reaction from Kanu, who declared he wouldn’t participate in a Nigerian court trial. IPOB, which advocates for the secession of southeastern Nigeria – a region with a predominantly Igbo population – has been labeled a terrorist organization by the Nigerian government.
