The legal counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, Aloy Ejimakor, along with his brother and ten others, has been remanded in Kuje Prison following their arrest during a protest calling for Kanu’s release.
According to reports, the group was arrested on Monday, October 20, for allegedly participating in the Free Nnamdi Kanu protest.
The development has stirred widespread reactions, with many describing it as a worrisome escalation of the ongoing agitation for the IPOB leader’s freedom.
Ejimakor, who confirmed the incident via his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday morning, said they were taken to a Magistrate Court in Kuje, where the presiding magistrate ordered their remand until Friday.
“I am safe and sound but still under custody at Kuje prison.
The Magistrate refused to listen to our submissions. He insisted on remanding us till Friday and got his way. For context: keep in mind that they bypassed several Magistrate courts in town and headed to this one in Kuje,” Ejimakor wrote.
The court document shared by Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, former National Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Nigeria (HRCN), revealed that the accused were charged with inciting disturbance and breach of public peace in violation of a court order.
Furthermore, the document stated that the group was accused of obstructing the free flow of traffic, denying other citizens their right to movement, and chanting war songs while demanding Nnamdi Kanu’s immediate release.
The police, in their submission, claimed that the protestors’ actions posed a potential threat to public safety and order.
However, human rights advocates have condemned the arrests, describing them as an attempt to silence lawful expression.
Meanwhile, supporters of the IPOB leader have taken to social media to call for the immediate release of Ejimakor and others, stressing that the protest was peaceful and constitutionally protected.
The incident adds a new twist to the ongoing legal and political saga surrounding Nnamdi Kanu’s detention, which has continued to generate tension in parts of the South-East.
Kanu, who remains in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), is facing multiple charges, including treasonable felony.
His prolonged detention despite several court rulings has been a major point of contention between the federal government and human rights advocates.
