By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal on Friday set aside a judgement of the Federal High Court that deregistered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

The two-member majority ruling held that the ruling of June 26, 2026, was an abuse of power, saying the court was wrong to sit over appeal of its own earlier judgment of December 10, 2025, which had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the NDC.

The appellate judges also dismissed the adversarial claims over the NDC’s use of a logo said to belong to another political association, the Peace Movement Party (PMP), which was the basis of Justice Isah Dashen’s in December.

Justice Okon Abang dissented in the ruling, saying he would have upheld the deregistering of the NDC, a major opposition party under which Nigerian political figure Peter Obi is contesting the presidency in 2027.

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Survivors of an incident in which 37 suspected illegal gold miners died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State have described struggling to breathe inside an overcrowded cell. The survivors gave their accounts during a visit by the Minister of Interior, Tunji Ojo, to the state.

One survivor said 17 detainees were initially locked in a small room before more were brought in. He said they complained about the room’s size and intense heat, but were still kept inside.

“They locked us in a very small room. We were 17 in number, then they added more people, and we started complaining that the room was small,” he said.

According to him, the situation worsened as the room was about to be locked and an unidentified substance, which he said looked like perfume, was sprayed inside.

“As they were about to lock the room, they sprayed something that looked like perfume, and the smell started disturbing everyone in the room,” he said.

The survivor said people then began falling as the room became increasingly hot. They pleaded for water, but were allegedly told that nobody would open the door.

“We pleaded with them to give us water, but they said no one would open the door for us,” he said.

He said the ordeal continued into the night, although his account did not immediately make clear what happened afterwards.

Another survivor said he survived because he was close to the cell entrance, where he could breathe better.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

An Israeli Member of the Knesset, Afef Abbed, has called on the United Nations to review Nigeria’s implementation of a 2022 opinion concerning the detention of Nnamdi Kanu and to seek an official update from the Nigerian government.

In a letter dated September 1, 2026, addressed to the UN Secretary-General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Chair-Rapporteur of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Abbed urged continued international monitoring of Kanu’s case.

Abbed referred to Opinion No. 25/2022 of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which found Kanu’s deprivation of liberty arbitrary and called for his immediate release, compensation and other reparations. The Working Group also called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his arrest in Kenya and subsequent transfer to Nigeria.

The Israeli lawmaker said the UN opinion remained relevant despite subsequent developments in Nigeria, including Kanu’s conviction on terrorism-related charges in November 2025 and his sentence to life imprisonment. Reuters reported that Kanu was convicted on November 20, 2025, after a trial over terrorism-related charges.

According to Abbed, the later conviction did not remove the need to examine the concerns raised by the Working Group regarding Kanu’s rights, detention and transfer to Nigeria.

He asked the UN to request an official account from the Nigerian government on measures taken in response to Opinion No. 25/2022 and, where permitted, publish an update on its implementation.

Abbed further urged the UN to encourage continued dialogue with Nigeria to ensure that proceedings involving Kanu comply with international human-rights standards and Nigeria’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The lawmaker also called for continued monitoring by relevant UN human-rights mechanisms, particularly regarding Kanu’s right to due process, fundamental rights and conditions of detention.

The letter raised additional concerns over allegations regarding Kanu’s health and claims that he had not received adequate medical care or that his personal physician had been prevented from providing treatment. Abbed said such allegations should be examined by the appropriate international human-rights mechanisms.

The UN Working Group’s 2022 opinion had concluded that Nigeria failed to establish a legal basis for Kanu’s detention and characterized the detention as arbitrary under Category I. It also found that Kanu had been subjected to detention connected to the exercise of rights including freedom of opinion and expression.

Abbed also noted that United States Congressman John James had recently called for Kanu’s release, although the Israeli lawmaker’s letter primarily focused on the role of the UN and implementation of the Working Group’s recommendations.

The appeal comes as Kanu remains in custody following his 2025 conviction. His case has continued to attract international attention because of the circumstances surrounding his 2021 arrest in Kenya and transfer to Nigeria, as well as questions surrounding his subsequent prosecution.

Abbed said a rights-based resolution should be pursued in accordance with international law, the rule of law and due-process principles.