Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has once again denied access to Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), blocking his legal team and family members from visiting him despite a standing court order.
Kanu’s lead counsel, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, revealed this development on Wednesday in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the DSS arbitrarily refused entry to him, Kanu’s family members, and a former Abia State House of Assembly member.
“Today, the DSS arbitrarily refused us (the legal team), an ex-member of Abia State House of Assembly, and the family of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from having a visitation with him,” Ejimakor wrote. He described the action as a “flagrant violation” of the Nigerian Constitution and a subsisting court order, vowing that it “will not stand.”
Ejimakor has repeatedly accused the DSS of disregarding legal directives regarding Kanu’s case. In November 2024, he called out the secret police for failing to comply with a court ruling that permitted Kanu to meet his lawyers.
Following weeks of legal pressure, the DSS finally allowed access on November 11, 2024, after its Director General, Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, intervened.
However, Wednesday’s blockade suggests a return to defying court mandates. Ejimakor noted that their visitation request had been submitted a day earlier, yet the DSS refused to honor it, reinforcing concerns about the agency’s continued disregard for judicial authority.
Kanu remains in DSS custody amid ongoing legal battles over his detention and trial. His supporters and legal team continue to demand compliance with court rulings, emphasizing that denial of legal access violates fundamental human rights.
