Security measures inside and outside the Federal High Court in Abuja have been significantly heightened as the court prepares to resume the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), today.
Operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) have been deployed to ensure order and safety during the proceedings.
The trial had been put on hold following a significant development in October 2022 when the Court of Appeal acquitted and discharged Kanu.
Not only did the appellate court invalidate Kanu’s abduction from Kenya to Nigeria, but it also dismissed the terrorism charges levied against him by the Federal Government, deeming them illegal and unlawful.
However, the Federal Government contested the verdict and filed an appeal at the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the decision of the Court of Appeal.
In a landmark judgment delivered on December 15, 2023, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the government, ordering the resumption of Kanu’s trial on terrorism charges.
Since his extradition from Kenya to Nigeria in June 2021, Kanu has been in detention under the custody of the Department of State Services.
Ahead of the trial’s resumption, stringent security measures have been implemented. Journalists, litigants, and court staff are subjected to thorough searches at multiple checkpoints, starting from the road leading to the Ministry of Justice and extending to the court premises itself.
The presence of DSS operatives both inside and outside the court reflects the seriousness and sensitivity of the case.
The trial of Nnamdi Kanu has garnered significant attention both domestically and internationally, with implications for political and social dynamics in Nigeria.
As the proceedings commence, all eyes are on the Federal High Court in Abuja, where the fate of Nnamdi Kanu hangs in the balance amidst heightened security and intense scrutiny.
