DSS Denies Nnamdi Kanu's Legal Team Access to See Him - Ejimakor

The legal team of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on Friday raised an alarm over being denied access to their client by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja.

According to Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu’s special lawyer, the DSS blocked them from meeting with Kanu despite subsisting court orders and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Ejimakor stated, "Today, in violation of subsisting court orders and the constitution, the DSS blocked the Legal Team of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from meeting with him at the detention facility."

The legal team arrived at the DSS premises a few minutes before 2 PM and waited until almost 5 PM without being allowed to see Kanu. They suspect that this action is a retaliation against Kanu for requesting the withdrawal of Justice Binta Nyako from his case on September 24th, 2024.

Ejimakor expressed concerns that the DSS has canceled all future visitations to Kanu, effectively isolating him from his lawyers and making his solitary confinement absolute.

This incident is part of a broader pattern of the DSS not complying with court orders. On June 14th, 2024, the DSS similarly refused to allow Kanu's legal team to meet with him as a group to prepare for his trial scheduled for June 19th and 20th, insisting that they meet with him separately or leave the premises.

This led the legal team to leave without seeing Kanu, complicating the upcoming hearing. The legal team accused the DSS of frustrating efforts to ensure a fair trial for Kanu and called on the Attorney General of the Federation to discontinue the prosecution if Kanu is not given the opportunity to defend himself properly.