Nigeria court drops eight of 15 charges against separatist leader
Source: AFP
By BBC
Published
1 min read
Mr Kanu is the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), a group that wants a breakaway state in south-east Nigeria where mainly Igbo people live, and which has been outlawed by the government.
A High Court judge in Nigeria has dismissed eight out of the 15 charges brought by the government against separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu.
His camp see the ruling as a step in right direction - though he still faces the serious charges of terrorism and treason.
Mr Kanu is the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), a group that wants a breakaway state in south-east Nigeria where mainly Igbo people live, and which has been outlawed by the government.
He was initially arrested in 2015 - fleeing the country in 2017 while out on bail.
Last June, he was captured abroad and repatriated, which his lawyers have argued breaches international law.
But on Friday Justice Binta Nyako ruled that any rendition would have been legal as Mr Kanu had skipped bail and was regarded as a fugitive at the time.
She also refused to grant him bail.
The 54-year-old has been held in solitary confinement, in the custody of the Nigerian secret police, since June.
He faces life imprisonment if convicted of terrorism and treason - charges he pleaded not guilty to in October.
