Justice delayed is justice denied for Nigerian whistleblower

Hopes that the trial of Nigerian whistleblower and Blueprint prize winner Nnamdi Emeh would resume this week were dashed when his defence counsel was informed the matter could not proceed as scheduled because the presiding judge had been placed on sick leave.

A new court date has been set for 14 July.

This is the latest of a string of setbacks for Emeh’s bid to be released on bail and clear his name in court.

Emeh is an IT specialist who was assigned to a police unit in Anambra state, Nigeria during his national youth service.

Shortly after he exposed a police operation allegedly involving extrajudicial killings and organ harvesting, he was arrested and indicted for what have widely been described as trumped-up charges. These include fraud, money laundering, unlawful possession of a firearm and defamation.

Despite being granted bail in 2023 and securing a release warrant, he has languished in prison ever since, allegedly thanks to obstructive behaviour of court officials.

Emeh’s last court appearance was on 9 December 2025, when presiding judge Justice Evelyn Anyadike directed the prosecution to bring all their witnesses to court on 14 April 2026 to continue the trial.

Anyadike is the third judge to be assigned to this case. The first, Justice Fatun Riman, passed away suddenly in October 2023 while undergoing medical treatment in the UK. He was replaced by Justice SM Shuaibu, who went on long leave and was then transferred. On 15 November 2024 the case resumed de novo, with Justice Anyadike presiding.

Proceedings resumed in 2025, marred by numerous adjournments.

The public outcry at Emeh’s continued incarceration despite being granted bail continues to grow in Nigeria after the launch of the Twitter/X campaign hashtag#FreeNnamdiEmeh.

Nnamdi Emeh is being jointly supported by Blueprint for Free Speech and The Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF)