AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, LEGAL EXPERTS CONDEMN ARREST OF NNAMDI KANU’S LEAD COUNSEL — CALL IT AN ASSAULT ON JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS
By Edidem Unwana | BRGIE News Line | October 2025
Introduction
The arrest and detention of Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, lead counsel to the detained IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, alongside Kanu’s brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, have drawn strong condemnation within and outside Nigeria.
Human rights organization Amnesty International has demanded their immediate release, describing the action of Nigerian security agencies as a violation of the rule of law and an attack on the right to fair trial and peaceful protest.
Ejimakor, who has represented Kanu since 2021, was among peaceful demonstrators at the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja on October 20, 2025, when he was arrested and remanded in Kuje Prison by a magistrate court.
Background: The Long Trial of Nnamdi Kanu
Nnamdi Kanu has been standing trial for alleged terrorism and treason charges for over five years, despite several favorable rulings from Nigerian courts ordering his release.
In 2022, the Court of Appeal discharged and acquitted him, declaring his extraordinary rendition from Kenya unlawful and ordering his freedom. However, the Federal Government of Nigeria appealed, and the Supreme Court controversially allowed the case to continue — a move many legal experts have described as politically motivated.
The Arrest of the Lead Counsel
Eyewitnesses reported that Barrister Ejimakor and others, including activist Omoyele Sowore and Prince Emmanuel Kanu, were peacefully marching at the Unity Fountain in Abuja when security agents disrupted the protest.
The Nigeria Police Force later claimed that the group “blocked traffic and violated a subsisting order” restricting protests near certain government facilities.
However, media coverage and video evidence revealed the demonstration was peaceful and orderly.
Constitutional and Legal Implications
1. Right to Peaceful Assembly
The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Section 40) guarantees the right of citizens to assemble freely and associate with other persons.
This includes the right to organize and participate in peaceful protests.
Unless violence occurs, participating in a demonstration is not a criminal offense.
2. Right to Legal Representation and Fair Trial
Under Section 36(6)(c) of the Constitution, an accused person has the right to be defended by a legal practitioner of their choice.
By detaining Kanu’s lead lawyer, the state is undermining this constitutional guarantee and obstructing the course of justice.
Senior legal analysts, including human rights attorney Chukwuma Eme (SAN), noted that “detaining a defense lawyer for standing with his client is harassment and a direct attack on the justice system.”
International Human Rights Perspective
Nigeria is bound by several international treaties protecting fair trial and peaceful assembly rights:
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International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) —
Articles 14, 19, and 21 guarantee the rights to a fair hearing, legal counsel, and peaceful assembly. -
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights —
Articles 6, 7, and 11 prohibit arbitrary detention and protect the right to defense and assembly. -
UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (1990) —
Principles 16 and 23 affirm that lawyers must perform their duties “without intimidation or interference” and have equal rights to peaceful assembly.
Expert and Civil Society Reactions
Amnesty International condemned the arrests, demanding the immediate release of Barr. Ejimakor and others held over the protest.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and International Bar Association Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) have warned that targeting defense lawyers undermines judicial independence.
Legal communities view such actions as political intimidation inconsistent with democratic governance.
Analysis: A Threat to the Rule of Law
The detention of Barrister Aloy Ejimakor is unlawful and unconstitutional.
No credible evidence suggests he violated any law. His arrest reflects a pattern of suppressing dissent and undermining judicial integrity in politically charged cases.
Such conduct not only obstructs Nnamdi Kanu’s fair trial but also erodes public trust in Nigeria’s justice system — a system already burdened with accusations of political interference and selective prosecution.
Conclusion
Barrister Aloy Ejimakor’s arrest for joining a peaceful protest constitutes no offense under Nigerian or international law.
It violates the rights to peaceful assembly, freedom of expression, and legal representation.
As Amnesty International and global legal observers assert, Nigeria’s government must end the harassment of lawyers, respect court rulings, and demonstrate genuine commitment to the rule of law.
BRGIE News Line therefore calls for the immediate release of Barrister Ejimakor and others detained during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest — and for full restoration of judicial independence in Nigeria.
References
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