A contingent of heavily armed operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) has been deployed to the Federal High Court in Abuja in anticipation of the resumption of the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) billed to hold today Monday, 26th of February, 2024.
The proceedings was formerly halted after the Court of Appeal acquitted Kanu in October 2022, ruling the abduction of Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria as illegal and unlawful, and quashing the terrorism charges leveled against him by the Federal Government.
Despite the appellate court’s decision, the Nigerian government appealed the judgment to the Supreme Court.
On December 15, 2023, the apex court ordered the continuation of Kanu’s trial on terrorism charges.
Kanu has remained in DSS custody since June 2021, following his extradition from Kenya to Nigeria. With the trial set to resume today, the presence of DSS operatives underscores the heightened tension surrounding the case.