Amnesty International has strongly condemned the remand of Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, Special Counsel to detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, and Prince Emmanuel Kanu, younger brother of the IPOB leader, at Kuje Correctional Centre. The arrests followed their participation in a peaceful protest demanding Kanu’s release.
The global human rights organization took to its X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday to warn President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration against what it described as an arbitrary crackdown on civic space. Amnesty International highlighted the detention of Ejimakor and Prince Emmanuel as part of a growing government effort to suppress freedom of assembly and expression.
According to Amnesty International, “Remanding lawyer Aloy Ejimakor and Prince Emmanuel Kanu in Kuje Prison just for participating in a peaceful assembly marks a further and chilling escalation of the Nigerian government’s relentless efforts to undermine freedom of assembly.”
The peaceful assembly, held in Abuja on October 20, 2025, aimed to demand the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu from Department of State Services (DSS) custody. During the protest, Ejimakor, Prince Emmanuel, and 11 other demonstrators were arrested by police and charged with criminal conspiracy, inciting public disturbance, disobedience of a lawful order, and breach of public peace.
Following their arraignment, the magistrate court in Kuje ordered their remand at Kuje Correctional Centre, a move Ejimakor described as politically motivated, noting that the case was deliberately taken to a specific court, bypassing others in the city.Ejimakor later assured supporters via social media that he was safe but remained in custody. He lamented the magistrate’s refusal to consider their submissions and the insistence on their remand until Friday.
Human rights and pro-democracy groups have expressed outrage at the arrests, accusing the government of criminalizing peaceful protests and silencing dissenting voices. Amnesty International urged the Nigerian authorities to immediately release the detained individuals and protect their rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression under both Nigerian and international law.
The organization further called on the Tinubu administration to halt the pattern of targeting lawyers, activists, and relatives of political detainees, warning that continued repression would only deepen fear and injustice within Nigeria.
