The Court of Appeal in Abuja has struck out an appeal filed by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and convicted terrorism offender, challenging alleged violations of his fundamental rights during his detention by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The appellate court held that the appeal was without merit and had become academic following Kanu’s life sentence for terrorism handed down by a Federal High Court on November 20, 2025.
A three-member panel ruled that claims of breaches regarding his rights to human dignity, access to healthcare, and freedom of religion were no longer actionable given his current imprisonment at Sokoto Prison, where he is serving his sentence.
The court also denied his request to be transferred to Kuje Prison, noting that since Kanu had previously expressed a preference for that facility, it could no longer grant such relief. This judgment effectively ends the legal challenge relating to his detention conditions, upholding the earlier rulings that dismissed his fundamental rights enforcement suit against the DSS and the Attorney-General of the Federation.