{
  "id": 4005687,
  "title": "Why I opposed Nnamdi Kanu’s terrorism trial – Lawyer",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/why-i-opposed-nnamdi-kanus-terrorism-trial-lawyer-4005687",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-28T18:18:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/why-i-opposed-nnamdi-kanus-terrorism-trial-lawyer/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former lead counsel to detained Indigenous People of Biafra leader Nnamdi Kanu, Aloy Ejimakor, has explained his opposition to the continuation of his client's terrorism trial. Ejimakor stated that the Federal Government failed to disclose the foreign locations where Kanu allegedly made broadcasts central to some charges, which he deemed critical. The omission created a fundamental jurisdictional problem, as it was unclear whether the broadcasts were considered crimes in those countries. This lack of information prevented the Federal High Court from determining whether the alleged conduct constituted an offence under the law of the relevant foreign country. Ejimakor argued that this technicality ultimately led to the trial's jurisdiction being overruled by the Court of Appeal, prompting a move to the current court handling the case.",
  "summary": "Aloy Ejimakor, the former lead counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, explained why he opposed Kanu's terrorism trial. According to Ejimakor, the Federal Government failed to disclose the foreign locations from which Kanu allegedly made broadcasts that formed the basis of some of the charges. These broadcasts were allegedly made between 2018 and 2021, when Kanu was outside Nigeria, in either Britain or Kenya.\n\nEjimakor stated that the charges against Kanu were initially brought under the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act 2013, which gave the Federal High Court extraterritorial jurisdiction over offences committed outside Nigeria. However, the legal position changed after the 2013 law was repealed and replaced.\n\nThe issue of Kanu's trial has been contentious, with another lawyer, Christopher Chidera, arguing that the Nigerian government was both the terrorist and prosecutor in the case. Chidera claimed that the Supreme Court found that Nigerian agents kidnapped and abducted Kanu from Kenya, subjecting him to extraordinary rendition, which made the prosecution \"unfair and oppressive\".",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Premium Times",
        "title": "‘I’ll push for Nnamdi Kanu’s release if elected Abia governor’ — Doris Ogala",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/ill-push-for-nnamdi-kanus-release-if-elected-abia-governor-doris-ogala",
        "published": "2026-08-27T08:54:55.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Post Nigeria",
        "title": "Reverse Buhari’s discriminatory legacy against South-East – Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer to Tinubu",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/reverse-buharis-discriminatory-legacy-against-south-east-nnamdi-kanus",
        "published": "2026-08-28T09:56:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "Why I opposed Nnamdi Kanu’s terrorism trial – Lawyer",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/why-i-opposed-nnamdi-kanus-terrorism-trial-lawyer",
        "published": "2026-08-28T18:10:16.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}