Emeh was due to receive his award in person but was instead brought before the court in shackles earlier in the week.

Nigerian whistleblower Nnamdi Emeh, the recipient of the 2025 Blueprint Africa Whistleblowing Prize, may spend the Christmas season in prison after his case was adjourned once again by the Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State.

Emeh was due to receive his award in person but was instead brought before the court in shackles earlier in the week.

The hearing, held on 9 December, ended with the case postponed until April next year, prolonging a detention that rights groups say violates existing court orders.

"Nigerian whistleblower Nnamdi Emeh was unable to accept his trophy as winner of a

2025 Blueprint Africa Whistleblowing Prize. Instead, he was led shackled into the

Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State this week, only to have his case postponed

again until April next year," a release on Saturday said.

A former IT consultant with the Anambra State Rapid Response Squad, Emeh specialised in tracking high-profile criminal suspects.

He was arrested in March 2023 after being linked to an anonymous leak alleging corruption, extrajudicial killings and organ harvesting by Nigerian police officials—claims that authorities have never publicly addressed.

At the time of his arrest, the Inspector General of Police announced an investigation into the allegations. Nearly two years later, the outcome of that probe has yet to be released.

Despite being granted bail in May 2023, and a further court order mandating his release in May 2024, Emeh remains detained at Awka Correctional Centre.

His family and legal team say police interference and obstruction by court officials have prevented his release.

Following the death of one presiding judge and the transfer of another, the case was reassigned in November 2024 to Justice Evelyn Anyadike, who presided over this week’s hearing.

Emeh’s defence counsel, Justus Ijeoma, again raised concerns that bail orders were being ignored.

“We drew the attention of the court to the subsisting bail earlier granted to the defendant by her late learned brother, Honourable Justice Riman,” Ijeoma told the court.

“The court assured us that once we are able to perfect the bail, she will sign the release warrant.”

Ijeoma added that the court directed prosecutors to present all their witnesses at the next hearing, scheduled for 14 April 2026, for continuation of proceedings.

Emeh’s prolonged detention has drawn international attention and renewed scrutiny of the treatment of whistleblowers in Nigeria.

In October, advocacy group Blueprint for Free Speech said it received credible information suggesting that Emeh’s life was in danger after a weapon was allegedly smuggled into the prison where he is being held.

According to Emeh’s father, Professor John Kanu Emeh, the weapon was intended to provoke a fight in order to kill his son during the ensuing chaos.

“The instructions were to provoke an altercation and assassinate Nnamdi,” he said.

In response, Blueprint for Free Speech and more than 20 international NGOs issued an open letter calling for Emeh’s immediate release in line with court orders, an investigation into the alleged threats, and the publication of the police investigation into the original corruption allegations.

Those efforts appear to be prompting official action. Last month, the National Human Rights Commission confirmed that it had registered a complaint and referred the matter to its Anambra State office for preliminary investigation.

Public pressure has also intensified domestically, with activists launching the #FreeNnamdiEmeh campaign on X (formerly Twitter) this week.

Professor Emeh said recent developments suggest international advocacy is making a difference.

“It appears that the petition to key Nigerian government officials, the global whistleblower award and recent media coverage championed by Blueprint for Free Speech are bearing fruit,” he said.

“Orders have apparently come from above that his safety must be ensured. My son is now being accorded more dignity.”

Emeh is supported by Blueprint for Free Speech and the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF), which say his case underscores the risks faced by whistleblowers and the urgent need for stronger protections in Nigeria. (Sahara Reporters)

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