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| Nnamdi Kanu is the director of London-based radio station Radio Biafra and leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) |
By Ludovica Iaccino November 23, 2015 11:28 GMT
Detained Radio Biafra director Nnamdi Kanu attended a hearing at a court in Abuja on 23 November, debunking allegations he had been killed.
Kanu, who lives in the UK, is the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), which, together with other pro-Biafrans, calls for the independence of territories that constituted the Biafran Republic, established in 1967. It was re-annexed by Nigeria in 1970, following a civil war that claimed between one and three million lives.
Kanu was arrested in Lagos earlier in October on charges of criminal conspiracy, intimidation and belonging to an unlawful society. He pleaded not guilty. One day before the scheduled hearing , one of the leaders of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (Massob), Uchenna Madu,alleged Kanu had been killed.
However, Kanu's supporters – some of whom went to court to attend the hearing – confirmed to IBTimes UKthat their leader was alive and in court. Local media also confirmed Kanu was present.
Kanu's bail controversy
Shortly after Kanu's arrest, Nigeria's state security service (DSS) told IBTimes UK he was released on bail. However, his lawyer Vincent Obetta, as well as Kanu's followers, claimed he was still being detained.
On 19 November, Obetta said a court order authorised the DSS to detain Kanu for 90 days to "conclude what they said was an investigation of terrorism and terrorism financing". Obetta also saidhe has filed contempt proceedings against the DSS.
IBTimes UK has repeatedly tried to contact the DSS in the past few days for a statement regarding Kanu, but has had no response.
Nigeria has been witnessing a rise in pro-Biafra protests in recent months, especially since Kanu's arrest in October.
Kanu's case has been adjourned to 1 December, IBTimes UK has learned.
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