Court step down application to transfer Nnamdi Kanu to hospital for medical attention

Di federal high court for Abuja don step down di application wey lawyers of secessionist leader Nnamdi Kanu bin file, asking di court to transfer dia client to di National Hospital for urgent treatment.

Kanu na di leader of di Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), wey dey fight for di independence of di eastern region of Nigeria to bicom dia own kontri – Biafra.

Justice Musa Liman dis Monday morning step down di mata sake of say time don run out as im na vacation judge and di vacation for federal high court judges go end today.

Na Emmanuel Kanu - younger broda to Nnamdi Kanu - bin swear to di 14-paragraph affidavit to tell di court say im broda get life-threatening heart condition and di medical facility for wia dem dey detain am no dey adequate to treat am.

As di mata start, Uchenna Njoku – Senior Advocate of Nigeria – wey be counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, inform di court say di lawyers to di federal govment serve dem dis morning wit a 37-page counter affidavit, and im neva get time to read am.

Njoku say im go need time to study di document bifor di mata go proceed, and as e be say di vacation for judges dey end today, e also mean say di jurisdiction of Justice Liman as vacation judge go also stop today.

Adegboyega Awomolo wey be lead counsel for di Nigeria govment agree wit Njoku and e add say it is a pity say di mata no come up earlier bicos dia team dey ready to take di mata anytime, any day.

For im final comment, Justice Liman say im bin don express concern weda im go fit rule on dis mata as a vacation judge, given di short period wey remain for di vacation to finish.

E add say im bin agree to hear di mata at all sake of say e dey urgent and e concern serious health issue wey be mata of life and death.

Di judge tok say e go return di case to di central registrar make dem transfer am to Justice James Omotosho, wey be di judge wey dey hear di main mata between Nnamdi Kanu and di Nigeria goment.

However, Liman tok say e go write note on top di case file to indicate say di mata dey very urgent, and e fit no wait until di next adjourned date for di main case.

Remember say di next adjourned date for di main terrorism charge against Nnamdi Kanu na on 10 October 2025, and di mata for dat day na ruling on di no-case submission wey Kanu lawyers bin file afta di Nigeria govment bin don call dia witnesses, tender plenty evidence and close dia case against di Ipob leader.

One lawyer for court dis Monday tell BBC News Pidgin on condition of anonymity say if Justice Liman write dat comment about di urgency of di mata, den Justice Omotosho fit fix date to hear am bifor di October 10 adjourned date for di next sitting.

Nnamdi Kanu dey currently face seven-count charges wey di Federal govment of Nigeria sama against am for di Federal High Court for Abuja.

Di charges concern terrorism and belonging to group wey goment don describe as terrorist group.

Nigeria security operatives first arrest Kanu in 2015 and na dat time im trial start. But di court grant am bail in 2017 sake of im health conditions, but Kanu later run comot from Nigeria, afta soldiers bin invade im house for Umuahia, Abia State.

In 2021, authorities arrest am again for Kenya and bring am back to Nigeria by force for June of dat year, and im trial resume.

Since dat 2021 reach now, Kanu don dey detention for di headquarters of di Department of State Services (DSS) wey dia main legal name na State Security Service (SSS), na from dia e dey attend im trial.

Kanu deny all di charges against am and di mata don go far for court afta dem reassign am to a new judge, James Omotosho, who grant di case fast-fast hearing.

Bifor Omotosho, na Justice Binta Nyako bin dey hear di mata since 2015, but Kanu later accuse am of bias and say e no get confidence say she fit deliver justice for di mata. Na sake of dat make Justice Nyako wash her hand comot for di case.

If, on 10 October, di no-case submission wey Kanu lawyer dem bin file, dey sustained, e mean say di court fit discharge Kanu. But if di court reject di no-case submission, e mean say Kanu lawyers go open dia defence immediately.