Nnamdi Kanu Drags FG To Court, Demands Unconditional Release, Apology And ₦100 Billion Damages

The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has filed two separate lawsuits challenging alleged violations of his constitutional rights, including the right to a fair and speedy trial.

Kanu, through his legal team led by Special Counsel Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, urged the court and Nigerian authorities to uphold constitutional provisions and follow due process in handling his case.

First Lawsuit: Demand for Unconditional Release and Compensation

In the first suit, Suit No. CV/875/25, Kanu seeks an unconditional release from detention and the termination of his ongoing trial in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015. His legal team argues that the trial violates Section 36(1) & (4) of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees the right to a fair hearing and trial within a reasonable time.

Additionally, Kanu is demanding a formal apology from the Nigerian government for alleged violations of his fundamental rights.

He is also seeking ₦100 billion in compensation for the physical, mental, and emotional trauma he claims to have suffered due to prolonged detention and legal proceedings.

Second Lawsuit: Request for Transfer of Trial to the South-East

In the second suit, Suit No. M/3224/2025, Kanu seeks a writ of mandamus compelling Nigerian authorities to follow due legal process in his trial. Specifically, he is demanding that the case be transferred to the South-East, arguing that it should have been filed there initially.

According to Kanu’s legal team, these lawsuits stem from repeated constitutional breaches following the recusal of Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako on September 24, 2024. They cited concerns including:

• Failure to reassign the case to another judge
• Reversing the recusal decision and reassigning the case to the same judge
• Refusal to consider transferring the case to the South-East
• Delays in trial proceedings, leaving Kanu in detention for nearly four years without resolution

His legal team insists that these actions amount to a miscarriage of justice and an infringement of Kanu’s legal rights.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Ejimakor emphasized that Kanu “cannot fold his hands while these injustices persist.”

He stated: “In the first suit, Number: CV/875/25, filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, we requested the enforcement of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s constitutional right to fair hearing and to be tried within a reasonable time; and in the alternative, to release him unconditionally.

“In the second suit, Number: M/3224/2025, we are seeking a Mandamus to compel the authorities to follow the law in the conduct of his trial, including the transfer of his case to the South-East where it should have been instituted in the first place.

“These suits were necessitated by several unconstitutional and unlawful actions that have pervaded the handling of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case since the recusal of Honorable Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako on September 24, 2024.

“The refusal to reassign the case to another judge, the backward reassignment of the case to the same judge who recused herself, and the authorities’ failure to bring the case to trial within a ‘reasonable time’ are clear violations of justice.

“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu cannot fold his hands whilst these injustices persist.”