A Nigerian court has rejected a bid by separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu to dismiss terrorism and treason charges against him, ruling that prosecutors have presented enough evidence for him to answer the charges.
Kanu, leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was first arrested in Nigeria in 2015, skipped bail in 2017, and was rearrested in Kenya in 2021.
Judge James Omotosho dismissed Kanu’s “no-case submission,” stating that the Department of State Services (DSS) had established a case against him.
The court also ordered Nigeria’s medical association to set up a panel to assess Kanu’s health and advise on his request to be moved from DSS detention to the state-run National Hospital.
Kanu’s lawyer cited a report recommending urgent transfer and possible treatment abroad, but the prosecutor opposed the move, citing security risks. The case has been adjourned to October 8 for the medical panel’s report. Kanu has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which carry life sentences.
