Legal Affairs
JUST IN: Lawyer Urges Police To Respect Nigerians’ Rights Ahead Kanu Protest

(DDM) – Nigerian human rights lawyer Marshal Abubakar has called on security agencies to respect citizens’ constitutional right to peaceful protest as Nigerians prepare for the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow nationwide demonstration.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that Abubakar compared the planned Nigerian protests to recent large-scale demonstrations in the United States, where over seven million Americans participated in the “No Kings” anti-Trump protest across New York and other major cities without interference from law enforcement.
He highlighted that during the U.S. protests, neither police nor intelligence agencies sought court orders to restrain demonstrators, and there were no reports of harassment, intimidation, or excessive use of force.
Abubakar’s statement comes amid rising agitation for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who has remained in custody despite several court orders granting him bail.
He emphasised that Nigerians marching peacefully to demand Kanu’s release are exercising a legitimate constitutional right and should not face harassment, intimidation, or violence from security personnel.
Earlier reports indicated tensions at the FCT Police Command in Abuja, where human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore alleged that police officers attempted to intimidate organisers ahead of the protest.
Sowore recounted that upon visiting the FCT Command, the protest team, including Kanu’s lawyer Barrister Maxwell Opara, faced bureaucratic delays and a heated exchange with senior officers.
Sowore said police warned that organisers would be “held responsible if anything goes wrong anywhere in Abuja,” prompting concerns over potential pre-emptive crackdowns.
Barrister Opara reportedly reminded officers that formal notification had been sent to ensure the demonstration would be lawful and peaceful.
Following these interactions, the police hierarchy allegedly sought a court order to stop the protest, but a Federal High Court judge declined to grant such an order in open court, and no order had been served on organisers as of Monday.
Abubakar’s call for restraint and respect of rights underscores ongoing tensions between civil society groups and Nigerian security agencies over freedom of assembly, judicial independence, and political activism.
Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021, following his arrest in Kenya and subsequent extradition to Nigeria.
He faces multiple charges, including treasonable felony and incitement, sparking national and international debates on the rule of law, political persecution, and human rights in Nigeria.
As the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest proceeds, legal observers, activists, and citizens continue to monitor security responses, highlighting the broader struggle for civil liberties in the country.
Legal Affairs
PHOTO: Kanu in Supreme Court, submits appeal against Nov 20 ruling
The embattled leader of the proscribed Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, appeared at the Supreme Court earlier today, to personally deliver a letter to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, requesting the discontinuation of his ongoing terrorism trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Kanu cited the use of a repealed law as the basis for his appeal.
Accompanied by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), this move marks a last-minute effort to stop the judgment slated for November 20.
This follows Kanu’s recent application filed at the Court of Appeal, where he requested a stay of proceedings in his trial before Justice James Omotosho.
In the motion, he urged the appellate court to suspend the judgment pending the resolution of his appeal, arguing that his trial is being conducted under a law that no longer exists.
Legal Affairs
Why I regret dragging PDP to court — Sule Lamido
Former Jigawa governor Sule Lamido said he’s truly sad that he had to drag the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Federal High Court in Abuja after being barred from the party’s 2025 national convention.
Lamido, who served two terms as governor (2007–2015) and was once foreign affairs minister, recalled his long‑standing relationship with the PDP, noting that he built the party “with sweat and soul.”
He said he went to the party secretariat on 27 October to buy the national‑chairmanship nomination form, but officials refused to sell it to him. That denial pushed him to file an ex‑parte motion on 31 October, asking the court to restrain the PDP from holding the convention until his complaint was heard.
Justice Peter Lifu granted a restraining order, stopping the PDP’s convention (scheduled for 15–16 November in Ibadan) and barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from monitoring or recognising it.
The judge found the PDP had failed to publish the convention timetable to members as required by law and that Lamido’s exclusion would cause him “greater harm.”
The court also ordered the PDP to pay damages if the suit was later deemed frivolous.
Speaking after the ruling, Lamido lamented: “If my party lost, I also lose. I feel like crying, taking this path. When we fight as brothers, the trust is lost, the bond of brotherhood is also lost.”
He added that he still supports the opposition’s unity under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) but will never leave the PDP.
The case was adjourned for judgment on 13 November 2025.
Legal Affairs
Nnamdi Kanu Moves To Stop Court From Ruling On Terrorism Charges
(DDM) — The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has filed a fresh motion urging the Federal High Court in Abuja to halt plans to deliver judgment in the ongoing terrorism case brought against him by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that Kanu’s legal team, led by Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and Ifeanyi Ejiofor, filed the motion seeking to restrain the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, from proceeding with the judgment pending the outcome of other related appeals currently before the Supreme Court.
According to the defense team, going ahead with the judgment would amount to a breach of Kanu’s constitutional rights, particularly as several issues concerning the legality of his extraordinary rendition from Kenya to Nigeria in 2021 remain unresolved.
The motion, DDM learned, argues that the Federal Government acted unlawfully by continuing to prosecute Kanu despite the Court of Appeal’s 2022 ruling, which discharged and acquitted him of all terrorism-related allegations, citing procedural violations by the state.
Kanu’s lawyers insisted that the Supreme Court’s yet-to-be-delivered judgment in the government’s appeal against that decision must first be determined before any new ruling at the High Court level.
They also contended that any attempt to proceed with the terrorism judgment could prejudice Kanu’s right to fair hearing and amount to judicial overreach.
Sources close to the defense revealed that Kanu’s legal strategy is to ensure that the matter is not determined twice on overlapping issues, which could create confusion in the judicial process.
The Federal Government, however, is expected to oppose the motion, arguing that the High Court retains jurisdiction to continue hearing the matter pending any directive from the apex court.
DDM recalls that Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021 after he was forcibly returned to Nigeria from Kenya in an operation widely condemned by international human rights organisations.
His detention has since sparked widespread agitation across the South-East region, with IPOB members and civil rights groups demanding his immediate and unconditional release.
Observers say this latest motion marks another chapter in Kanu’s long-running legal battle with the Nigerian state, one that has tested the boundaries of both national security and constitutional justice.
Analysts also note that the outcome of the case will have significant political and social implications, particularly as the South-East continues to grapple with economic disruptions, insecurity, and separatist tensions linked to IPOB activities.
Kanu’s supporters have maintained that his prosecution is politically motivated, while the government insists that he must face the law for allegedly inciting violence, broadcasting falsehoods, and promoting secessionist activities.
The court is expected to announce a new date for the hearing of Kanu’s motion, which will determine whether Justice Nyako can proceed with the planned judgment.
As of press time, neither the Federal Ministry of Justice nor the DSS had issued an official statement on the latest development.
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