The Appeal Court in Nigeria has dropped all charges against separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu after ruling that he had been illegally arrested outside Nigeria, and his extradition had also been illegal.
The ruling by a panel of three judges is seen as a major blow to the government which had detained Mr Kanu on treason and terrorism-related charges.
He is the leader of the banned indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) group, which is campaigning for the creation of an independent state in south-eastern Nigeria.
Mr Kanu – who holds a UK passport – fled Nigeria in 2017 before he was seized and brought back in 2021.
He said he had been detained in Kenya, but the Nigerian and Kenyan governments did not admit to this.