The Federal High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State, has adjourned the trial of detained whistleblower Nnamdi Daniel Emeh until October 27, 2026, without conducting proceedings in the matter.
The case came up on Tuesday, July 14, but was not heard after the court reportedly devoted its sitting to political matters and could not accommodate Emeh’s trial.
Emeh’s father, Professor John Kanu Emeh, who attended the proceedings, said the judge announced the adjournment without taking the case.
“They didn’t treat the matter at all,” the elder Emeh said.
“They were treating political matters and did not have time to take his own case.”
He added that his son appeared disappointed by the development but remained in good health before being returned to the Awka Correctional Centre.
“Nnamdi was downcast because of it, but he is in good health and has been taken back to the Awka correctional facility. I also went there to see him,” he said.
The latest adjournment extends Emeh’s detention, which has continued for more than three years despite an earlier order admitting him to bail.
Emeh has been standing trial since March 2023 on charges bordering on fraud, money laundering, impersonation of a police officer, unlawful possession of a firearm and defamation.
He was arrested in the Republic of Benin on March 3, 2023, returned to Nigeria and subsequently detained at the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja before being transferred to the Awka Correctional Centre.
The Federal High Court granted him bail on May 17, 2023. However, he was not released from custody.
According to earlier reports, the bail conditions were fulfilled except for the surrender of his international passport, which the police initially withheld. The passport was later released following a court order, but Emeh remained in detention.
On May 15, 2024, the court issued a warrant directing his release. The police subsequently filed an application seeking to stop the release and revoke the bail.
The application was dismissed in July 2024, with the court upholding Emeh’s bail. He nevertheless remained at the correctional centre.
The case was later reassigned after the presiding judge was transferred, resulting in the trial starting afresh before another judge in November 2024.
During the resumed proceedings, some documents, including the earlier release warrant, were reportedly found to be missing from the court’s file.
In January 2025, the court directed Emeh to present new sureties. His lawyers objected to the directive, but the objection was rejected.
The trial resumed in March 2025, when two prosecution witnesses testified. Another witness gave evidence when proceedings resumed in September 2025.
At the December 9, 2025 sitting, Emeh’s counsel again drew the court’s attention to the subsisting bail order and indicated that steps would be taken to perfect the bail requirements afresh. The matter was subsequently adjourned to April 2026, with the prosecution directed to produce its remaining witnesses.
Before Tuesday’s proceedings, a coalition of civil society organisations called on the Federal High Court to enforce the earlier order for Emeh’s release and protect his constitutional rights to liberty, fair hearing and due process.
The organisations expressed concern that Emeh had remained in detention despite being granted bail and that his trial had suffered repeated delays.
They maintained that the continued detention of a whistleblower in the face of court orders raised serious questions about Nigeria’s commitment to the rule of law and protection of persons who disclose information considered to be in the public interest.
The groups also referred to allegations by Emeh’s father that his son had faced physical attacks and suspected attempts on his life while in custody.
International and local organisations have previously called for Emeh’s release and urged Nigerian authorities to guarantee his safety while his trial continues.
Emeh, an information technology specialist, became publicly known after disclosures alleging killings, abductions, extortion and other abuses by officers formerly attached to the Anambra State Police Command’s Rapid Response Squad.
The Inspector-General of Police subsequently constituted a panel to investigate the allegations, although the outcome has not been publicly disclosed.
He has remained at the Awka Correctional Centre pending the continuation of his trial on October 27.
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