Alex Enumah in Abuja 

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has denied making any order for the release of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

Kanu has been in custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2021, when he was rearrested in Kenya and repatriated to Nigeria to continue his trial bordering on treasonable felony.

He was first arrested in 2015 in Lagos and arraigned alongside four others, but fled the country in 2017, after his father’s house was attacked by military personnel.

His trial, which has gone up to the Supreme Court and returned to the Federal High Court, Abuja, suffered a setback recently, when the case was reassigned to another judge, after the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, recused herself from the trial.

However, as the case comes up on Friday for trial denovo before Justice James Omotosho, reports emerged on the social media, claiming that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, had ordered the release of Kanu from DSS’ custody.

Reacting, the council described the report as false, clarifying that there was no court proceedings or judgment wherein the CJN made such order.

In a statement by the spokesperson of the NJC, Mrs Kemi Babalola Ogedengbe, the council also dismissed claims that the CJN had formally written  to the Kenya Government or Kenya High Commission apologising on the issue of the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu and subsequent trial.

“The attention of the National Judicial Council (NJC) has been drawn to media reports that the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the Council, Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, GCON, has ordered release of the detained Nnamdi Kanu and repatriate him to Kenya.

“The Council wishes to state that the media report is false and figment of imagination of the writer, as there are no court proceedings, decision or judgment where such statements ascribed to His Lordship was made.

“The Council categorically emphasizes that the Hon CJN neither presided over any case of Kanu at the apex court, where jurisdiction issue was argued, nor make any such pronouncement.

“His Lordship, the Hon CJN never wrote any formal letter to the Kenya Government or Kenya High Commission apologising on the issue of arrest of Nnamdi Kanu and trial.”

Meanwhile, the NJC has advised members of the public to disregard the fake story.

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