DSS Explains Denial of Lawyer Access to Nnamdi Kanu Amid Legal Controversy
Details have emerged regarding the ongoing denial of access to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), by the Department of State Services (DSS). Kanu has been detained since June 2021 on terrorism charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Kanu’s legal team has accused the DSS of obstructing their access. On October 17, the court warned DSS Director-General Adeola Ajayi with potential jail time if he continued to deny lawyers access to Kanu. Following this, the court summoned Ajayi to explain the ongoing restrictions, which are reportedly based on directives from the SSS leadership.
Previously, on May 20, Judge Binta Nyako ordered that Kanu be allowed visitors three times a week—on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays—and mandated that he meet with up to five lawyers in a secure and clean environment to prepare his defense.
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Despite this, unnamed DSS officials contend that the court’s order permits access solely for trial preparation, which they claim is currently on hold. A source familiar with the case indicated that Kanu’s request for Justice Nyako’s recusal had temporarily stalled proceedings. Although Justice Nyako has resumed handling the case, no trial date has been set, prompting the DSS to assert that legal access is only justified once the trial officially resumes.
Kanu’s lawyer, Nnaemeka Ejiofor, criticized the DSS’s position as “childish,” arguing that a court order does not expire unless overturned by a subsequent order. He emphasized that the DSS cannot limit visitation rights under the existing court order and questioned the logic of denying access until the trial begins. Ejiofor further asserted that if the DSS believes the court order is invalidated by Justice Nyako’s temporary recusal, then Kanu’s detention itself should also be deemed illegal.
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