Legal Affairs
Lawyer Defends #FreeNnamdiKanuNow Protest, Accuses Tinubu Government Of Discrimination

(DDM) — Human rights lawyer, Maxwell Opara, has publicly defended his participation in the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest, emphasizing that legal practitioners have a constitutional right to demonstrate when fundamental rights are violated.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that Opara spoke during a Tuesday interview on Arise Television, stressing that there is no Nigerian law preventing lawyers from taking part in peaceful protests demanding government accountability.
“Well, I have been, as a researcher, going through the laws to see where it is written that a lawyer cannot protest or participate in a protest against injustice or when the right of his client is being violated. I am yet to see such a law,” Opara said.
He further explained that even if such a law existed, it would contradict the Nigerian Constitution, which is supreme and overrides all conflicting statutes.
Opara clarified that the protests are not intended to challenge court judgments, but are directed at ensuring the federal government complies with existing rulings favoring the detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu
“We are not protesting to ask the court to give us judgments. We never protested against any issue that has to do with the judiciary. We are asking the executive to free Nnamdi Kanu because its actions amount to discrimination,” he said.
He reminded viewers that multiple courts, three Nigerian and two foreign courts, have ruled in Kanu’s favor, awarding ₦1 billion and ₦500 million in damages against the federal government, yet the government has failed to implement the rulings.
Opara sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration for what he described as selective justice, noting that while the government pardons convicted criminals and negotiates with bandits, it continues to detain Kanu despite clear court orders.
“The president now, instead of looking at all these issues, directed the police and the army to negotiate with bandits. Those committing acts of crime are pardoned.
Meanwhile, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who has court judgments in his favor, remains detained. This is discrimination against him and the Igbos,” he said.
He cited Section 42 of the Nigerian Constitution, which forbids discrimination based on religion, tribe, sex, or other factors, highlighting the government’s actions as a direct violation of constitutional rights.
Opara also referenced the continued pattern of selective compliance, arguing that citizens are observing the federal government’s inconsistent application of the law, which could further erode public trust in national institutions.
He maintained that lawyers and citizens alike have a duty to peacefully resist executive overreach, and that the protest is a legitimate means to ensure the federal government respects judicial decisions and upholds democratic principles.
Opara concluded by warning that the federal government’s inaction could heighten tensions and provoke wider civil unrest, urging authorities to comply with court orders and release Kanu immediately.
The remarks have reignited debates over judicial independence, executive overreach, and ethnic discrimination, placing the federal government under renewed scrutiny both nationally and internationally.
#FreeNnamdiKanuNow #JusticeForKanu #RuleOfLaw #SelectiveJustice #ExecutiveOverreach
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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