Nnamdi Kanu: Nigerian court drops charges against separatist Ipob leader - BBC

Nigeria's Appeal Court has dropped each charges against separatist person Nnamdi Kanu aft ruling that helium had been illegally arrested abroad.

The tribunal besides ruled that his extradition was illegal.

The ruling by a sheet of 3 judges is seen arsenic a large stroke to the authorities which had detained Mr Kanu connected assorted treason and terrorism-related charges.

But the authorities says it volition research different ineligible options.

"Kanu was lone discharged and not acquitted," said a spokesperson for Attorney General Abubakar Malami, truthful it appears improbable helium volition beryllium freed imminently.

The Attorney General's bureau added that the court's determination was lone based connected the extradition of Mr Kanu, and did not use to those charges that predate it which "remain valid issues for judicial determination".

The person of the banned indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) radical was primitively arrested successful 2015 but helium fled Nigeria successful 2017 portion retired connected bail.

He has denied immoderate wrongdoing.

Ipob is campaigning for the instauration of an autarkic authorities successful south-eastern Nigeria.

Mr Kanu - who holds a UK passport - was seized and sent backmost location successful 2021.

The tribunal ruled that his 2021 apprehension overseas was amerciable due to the fact that extradition protocol was not followed.

His lawyers accidental helium was detained successful Kenya, which has not commented connected whether it played a relation successful Mr Kanu's deportation to Nigeria.

The Appeal Court besides ruled the Federal High Court did not person the jurisdiction to effort Mr Kanu.

He initially faced 15 charges, but 8 had antecedently been dropped.

Ipob wants a radical of states successful the south-east of the country, mostly inhabited by members of the Igbo taste group, to interruption distant from Nigeria and signifier an autarkic federation called Biafra.

In 1967 Igbo leaders declared independency for the authorities of Biafra, but aft a civilian war, which led to the deaths of up to a cardinal people, the secessionist rebellion was defeated.

But the thought of Biafra has ne'er gone distant and contempt the arrests of his members, Mr Kanu's question has seen a caller swell successful its numbers.