The claim by Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, that the Nigerian government is detaining Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), against a court order has been found to be factually incorrect and misleading.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, made the statement while speaking to reporters in Onitsha on June 29.
He had said, "I don't see any reason for his continued detention, especially as the courts have granted him bail. The government must obey the court.
"We are in a democracy, and we should not be doing things that are arbitrary and not within the law."
A fact-check done by Premium Times on Sunday stated that the Supreme Court overturned the ruling of the lower court in December 2023, ordering the continuation of Kanu's trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
This means that the continued detention and trial of Kanu are in compliance with the judgement of the Supreme Court, the highest court in the country.
Kanu was first arrested in 2015 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and was being tried for alleged terrorism, among other charges.
Although the Court of Appeal, Abuja, had struck out the terrorism charges and ordered his release in October 2022, the government appealed the ruling and obtained a Supreme Court order staying its execution.
President Bola Tinubu, who assumed office on May 29, 2023, had no involvement in the matter as the appeal and Supreme Court order were obtained by the previous administration.
Therefore, Obi's claim is not only factually incorrect but also misleading, as the current administration is acting in compliance with the Supreme Court's judgement.
The fact-check has been generating mixed reactions from members of the public, with many taking to the comments section to share their views on it.
Below are some of the reactions from people: