US report criticizes Nigeria's handling of Emefiele, Kanu arrests

The United States Government has criticized Nigeria’s handling of the arrests of Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), citing examples of arbitrary detention and deficiencies in the country’s judicial system.

In its ‘2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Nigeria,’ published on its website, the U.S. Department of State highlighted concerns over lengthy pre-trial detention, denial of access to court, and frustrations within the judicial system.

The report stated that Emefiele was detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) for investigative reasons on June 10, with a Federal High Court in Lagos granting him bail on July 25. However, the DSS attempted to re-arrest him, leading to a confrontation between DSS agents and Nigerian Correctional Service officers. Emefiele was later released on bail on November 8 and subsequently charged with corruption.

Similarly, Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB, was detained by the DSS on national security grounds. Although an appeal court in Abuja dropped all charges against Kanu in 2022 and ordered his release, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling on December 15, stating that Kanu faced terrorism charges. Kanu remained incarcerated at the end of the year.

The report highlighted challenges within Nigeria’s judicial system, including a shortage of trial judges, trial backlogs, endemic corruption, bureaucratic inertia, and undue political influence. It noted instances where detainees’ cases were delayed due to transportation issues, lost case files, and inadequate court systems and procedures.

The U.S. Department of State expressed concern over the violations of Emefiele’s and Kanu’s rights during their arrests and emphasized the need for Nigeria to address these issues to uphold human rights and ensure a fair judicial process.