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Court Grants Nnamdi Kanu Bail … 44 IPOB Members Set Free In Yenagoa
A Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, granted bail to the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, on health grounds.
Justice Nyako, however, barred the IPOB leader from granting press interviews while on bail.
The judge also gave a stern warning to the defendant not to participate in any rally or be found in a crowd of more than 10 persons in the course of the bail.
She, however, refused the separate bail applications filed by the IPOB leader’s co-defendants.
The accused persons charged along with Kanu, and who were denied bail by the judge, were the National Coordinator of IPOB, Mr. Chidiebere Onwudiwe; an IPOB member, Benjamin Madubugwu, and a former Field Maintenance Engineer seconded to the MTN, David Nwawuisi.
The court also in a separate ruling rejected the application by Kanu and two of the co-defendants seeking the setting aside of the court’s earlier order granting protection to prosecution witnesses to enable them to testify behind a screen or in mask as well as using pseudonyms to refer to them during proceedings.
Kanu, who had been in detention since 2015, was granted bail, yesterday, following the application filed by his lawyer after part of the charges filed against them were struck out by the court.
Justice Nyako noted that she had observed that Kanu was always having to sit down in the dock whenever he appeared in court, a development which she said, could be an indication that he could be suffering from an ailment that could not be treated in prison.
She, therefore, granted bail in the sum of N100million with three sureties in like sum.
The judge ordered that one of the sureties to be provided by the defendant must be a highly placed person such as a senator.
She directed that the other must be a highly recognised leader in the religion being practised by Kanu.
When asked by the judge in the course of reading the ruling, Kanu said he was practising Judaism.
The third surety, according to the judge, must be a resident of Abuja and who must have a landed property in the Federal Capital Territory.
The court fixed July 11 and 12 for commencement of trial.
Meanwhile, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, were at the Federal High Court in Abuja in solidarity with Kanu, yesterday.
Fayose was already seated in the courtroom for over 30 minutes before Kanu and his co-accused were produced in court by prison officials at about 10.05am.
Meanwhile, a Magistrate Court sitting in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, yesterday, freed 44 detained members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), declaring a no-case submission on the three count charges of conspiracy, breach of public peace and unlawful gathering filed against them by the police.
The Magistrate Court, presided over by Penawei Mukoro, before striking out case, said that the prosecution was unable to establish a prima-facie case against them.
The detained members of the IPOB were arrested sometime in October, 2016, while meeting at a popular large lounge/bar at the Okaka suburb of Yenagoa by men of the Joint Task Force code named Operation Delta Safe and handed over to the Police for prosecution.
Counsel to the arrested IPOB members, had argued before the court a no case submission, describing the arrest and trial of the IPOB members as a deliberate attempt to intimidate and violate the fundamental rights of people to freedom of gathering.
Nwosu said the prosecution, the Nigerian Police, have failed to produce a credible witness to substantiate the three count charges against the IPOB members.
He said, “It is a case where there is serious intimidation. And the prosecution could not produce credible witness.”
Delivering ruling, yesterday, on the case, the Presiding Magistrate, Magistrate Penawei Mukoro, struck out the case on no case submission and discharge and acquit the accused IPOB members.
Mukoro, in her ruling, held that all the accused persons have no case to answer as the prosecution was unable to make out a prima-facie case against them.
Meanwhile, several pro-Biafra supporters went into jubilation after they heard that Kanu was admitted to bail. They sang, danced and engaged in a mini-procession, while chanting different Biafra war songs.
Most of them waved the Biafran flag, others brandished various insignia from the defunct Republic, while a small group of men and women dressed in Jewish apparels kept muttering what seemed to be a prayer in the way believers in Judaism do.
In Imo State, yesterday, the ever busy MCC/Uratta Road and other communities in Imo State, were taken over by scores of IPOB loyalists, who were celebrating Nnamdi Kanu’s bail. The spontaneous jubilation, drew a large crowd of ardent supporters of the Biafran sovereignty in Imo.
They carried various Biafran insignia, including flags, caps, shirts and banners, as they sang victory songs and danced happily on the streets.
Some other jubilant loyalists in Owerri, were seen distributing free drinks in some of the joints our correspondent visited before going to press. One of the demonstrators, Chike, who spoke to our correspondent as they celebrated, said: “we are celebrating the release of one of our own, who has been incarcerated for several months.
I am only praying that the bail granted him this time, won’t be treated like the previous ones, especially as the present Federal Government hates the rule of law with passion.”
Speaking also, a woman who simply identified herself as Mrs. Sylvia said they were not particularly concerned with the bail conditions, even as she described them as “stringent and draconian.”
“I am a mother. I know how it feels to have a loved one locked up endlessly by traducers. I do not know why the High Court Judge does not want Nnamdi Kanu to be seen among more than 10 persons or talk to the press about his experience in captivity”, Mrs. Sylvia said.
In Port-Harcourt, hundreds of pro Biafrans shutdown the Obigbo end of Port Harcourt-Aba Road as they celebrated news of the bail granted Nnamdi Kanu.
Passengers heading to Aba in Abia State on that road were stranded as most of them had to come down from their vehicles, trekking some distance to board vehicles that had already passed the huge traffic snarl created by the jubilant pro Biafrans.
It was also a tough time for police men from the Obigbo Police station drafted to control the traffic.
Meantime, the pro Biafrans danced,singing solidarity songs. Some who spoke to newsmen expressed hope that the concept of a Biafra nation would come to be.
Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) of his administration’s commitment to supporting and strengthening the scheme in the State.
Fubara gave the assurance last Friday at the NYSC permanent orientation camp, Nonwa-Gbam, Tai Local Government Area in the State, during the swearing-in ceremony of 2026 Batch B Stream II orientation course.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Bureau, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Promise Oguzie, the governor said the State Government would remain intentional in providing the necessary support to improve the NYSC scheme and enhance the experiences of corps members deployed to the state.
He charged the corps members to be role models and quality nation-builders in their service to the good people of Rivers State in particular, and Nigeria at large.
“I charge you to be exemplary, dedicated and committed in all you do. Take full advantage of all the camp programmes and activities to enrich yourselves”, he said.
In his welcome address, the State Coordinator of NYSC in Rivers State, Mr. Moses Oleghe, urged corps members to see their deployment to Rivers State as a “veritable opportunity to make meaningful contribution to the growth of the State in particular and Nigeria at large.”
He further charged them to serve with all sense of “integrity, discipline, and the fear of God, especially when they will be engaged as INEC ad-hoc staff that will conduct the 2027 general elections.”
A total of 3,584 corps members composed of 1,421 males and 2,163 females were sworn in by the Chief Judge of Rivers State, who was represented by Justice Godspower Aguma.
Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, says Nigeria needs God-fearing leaders for the nation to move in the right direction and make meaningful progress.
The Governor stated this yesterday when he received in audience, the World President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Erton Kohler; his wife, Andriene Marques Kohler; daughter Mariana Marques Kohler and a retinue of ministers of the church at Government House, Port Harcourt.
Fubara who hailed the Seventh Day Adventist Church for its contributions to education and the grooming of future leaders in Nigeria, expressed delight that the Church had over the years, been investing in education at various levels and currently runs two universities in the country.
He commended the church for not only using its institutions to spread the gospel of Christianity but to groom future leaders for the country.
According to him, religion should not be just about defending one’s faith, but also making meaningful impact on the lives of the people.
He said that by floating these educational institutions, the church has demonstrated capacity to support Nigeria in the task of producing not only educated people but a breed of God-fearing leaders.
“Our country is where it is today because we lack the fear of God. If you have the fear of God, there should be a limit to what you can do because you understand the supremacy of God. But when God is not in your equation, you’ll go beyond the line and that is what has brought us to where we are today.
“So, I feel very happy that you are contributing to the development of our future leaders in this country. We need the right people being in the right place; prepared properly with good minds; that is what we need, not just in Nigeria but round the whole world.,” he said.
Governor Fubara further observed that the absence of God-fearing people in high places to take the right decisions that could impact positively on the society, has also given rise to other problems such as social inequality, poverty, corruption and criminality. According to him, Nigeria needs a system where the average parent could afford quality education for their children and a guarantee that upon graduation, the average child will have the capacity to compete favourably with anybody, anywhere in the world.
“If we have a situation where the little money that you’re being paid as wage can also afford you quality healthcare and after working at least for 15-20 years, you have a roof over your head, tell me why you should be involved in any kind of crime? At that point, you’ll feel secured and this attitude of insecurity about the future that leads to all the social vices we have today won’t be there,” he said.
Governor Fubara expressed appreciation to the delegation for the visit and for their prayers for Rivers State, assuring them of his continued support for their programmes in the state.
Leader of the delegation and World President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Erton Kohler said he was in Nigeria for a special conference of the church during which thousands of the church’s ministers will be undergoing an empowerment programme to further equip them for the task of herding their flocks and serving the society.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor for the warm reception accorded his entourage, saying the memory of the visit will linger in his mind for a lifetime.
Kohler disclosed that the Church has over twenty -four million (24,000,000) members and more than 182,000 places of worship, spread across 212 countries of the world.
The Rivers State House of Assembly has approved the 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) submitted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
This reaffirms the lawmakers’ commitment to enacting laws and taking legislative actions geared towards the overall development of the State.
The Assembly gave the approval during its Second Legislative Sitting of the Fourth Session held last Friday.
Speaking on the MTEF document during plenary, the House Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, noted that by the provision of Section 10(1)(b) of the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law No. 8 of 2010, the MTEF ought to have been laid before the House in September 2025.
Amaewhule explained that traditionally, the document is expected to be presented four months before the commencement of the next financial year and immediately after the expiration of every three-year fiscal cycle.
He, however, stated that in the interest of the State and its people, the House considered it necessary to deliberate on the document, describing it as a precursor to the 2026 Budget Estimates.
The Speaker expressed concern that the year had already progressed significantly before the presentation of the framework.
During deliberations on the document, members examined the assumptions and projections contained in the MTEF and observed that strict adherence to the outlined fiscal parameters would ultimately serve the interest of Rivers people.
The lawmakers maintained that effective implementation of the framework would promote prudent financial management and enhance developmental planning across the State.
Following the debate and positive consideration by members, the Speaker put the question to the House and members voted overwhelmingly in support of the approval of the MTEF.
Meanwhile, during the same sitting last Friday, the House also received a petition from the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Dr. Gift Worlu.
The petition was presented by the member representing Obio/Akpor Constituency II, Hon. Emilia Amadi.
According to the petition, concerns were raised over an imminent security breach, threats to lives, destruction of property and alleged forceful takeover of property by some lawless persons within parts of the Local Government Area.
Presenting the petition before the House, Hon. Amadi appealed to the lawmakers to revisit the matter and take necessary steps aimed at safeguarding lives and property in the affected communities.
The House is expected to further deliberate on the petition and consider measures to address the concerns raised in order to sustain peace and security in the area.
King Onunwor
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