Human Rights Lawyer Challenges Nigerian Government’s Plan To Retry Nnamdi Kanu

Barrister Christopher Chidera, a prominent human rights lawyer, has launched a scathing attack on the Nigerian government’s plans to retry Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu.

Chidera claims that any attempt to prosecute Kanu under the repealed Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act 2013 is legally untenable, procedurally flawed, and morally repugnant.

In a statement issued over the weekend, Chidera described the government’s actions as a “direct assault” on Kanu’s constitutional rights.

He argued that the prosecution’s reliance on a repealed statute violates the principle of stare decisis, and that Nigerian courts lack the authority to conduct a trial under the 2013 Act.

He also dismissed the government’s attempt to use Section 98(3) of the TPPA 2022 to justify a de novo trial, describing it as “legal acrobatics” to conceal the fundamental flaw in their case.

The lawyer issued an ultimatum, demanding that President Bola Tinubu’s administration begin peaceful negotiations with Kanu by midnight on Thursday, March 20, 2025, or face the consequences of exposing widespread corruption and systemic failures within Nigeria’s justice system.

He warned that continuing with the prosecution would result in international condemnation.

Chidera’s statement emphasises the significance of Kanu’s decision to represent himself beginning March 21, 2025.

He believes that this move, which comes after Kanu’s successful challenge that resulted in Justice Binta Nyako’s recusal, will expose the judiciary’s alleged biases and political manipulation.

The lawyer predicts that this self-representation will “ignite legal fireworks,” bringing unprecedented global attention to the Nigerian justice system.

Chidera concludes by saying that convicting Kanu is a “legal impossibility and a political miscalculation of historical proportions.”

He believes that Kanu’s unwavering stance and widespread public support for his cause make any attempt to silence the Biafran movement futile.

He reiterates his call for the government to drop the prosecution and reach an amicable settlement, emphasising that “political dissent cannot be extinguished by force.”

The lawyer’s forceful statement sets the stage for a dramatic courtroom confrontation and the possibility of escalation in Nigeria’s already tense political situation.