The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, one last opportunity to defend himself in the seven-count terrorism charge filed against him by the Federal Government.
Presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho, issued the warning on Wednesday, stating that the court would “foreclose” Kanu’s right to defence if he failed to present his case at the next hearing scheduled for November 7, 2025.
“We had adjourned for the defendant to put in his defence or be deemed closed. But I am bound to give him another opportunity,” Justice Omotosho said. “If he does not, I will deem him closed. I know that he is an economist and not a lawyer, so I will give him one more chance.”
Kanu, who has chosen to conduct his own defense after dismissing his legal team, maintained that he had “no case to answer.”
He told the court that the charges were invalid because they were based on a “repealed and non-existent law,” adding that the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act used against him had already been repealed.
Legal Standoff and Supreme Court Reference
The IPOB leader argued that the Supreme Court had ordered the Federal Government to amend the charges before proceeding with the trial but that the directive was ignored. “I cannot put in defence under a repealed law. I won’t do that,” he insisted.
Prosecuting counsel Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), however, urged the court to close Kanu’s defence, noting that he had wasted five of the six days allocated to him.
“His continued insistence that the charge is defective clearly shows he does not intend to defend himself,” Awomolo argued, praying the court to move forward to final addresses and judgment.
Justice Omotosho instead chose to grant a final adjournment, allowing Kanu to consult with four of his former lawyers—Nnaemeka Ejiofor, Aloy Ejimakor, Maxwell Okpara, and Mandela Umegborogu—to prepare his defence.
The court, however, cautioned the lawyers against making public comments or media statements on the case after the prosecution complained about previous interviews and social media posts.
Ejimakor Defends Kanu’s Self-Representation
Defying that admonition, Kanu’s lead lawyer, Alloy Ejimakor proceeded after court session to speak with waiting journalists. He defended his client’s decision to represent himself, describing it as a legitimate political and constitutional option available to his client.
He likened Kanu’s approach to that of historical figures who defended themselves in politically motivated trials.
“He put up a very good defence, even though he concentrated on objections to the duration of the trial,” Ejimakor said. “People must understand that this case is not an ordinary criminal case. It has deep political dimensions, like those faced by Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Obafemi Awolowo, and Mahatma Gandhi.”
Ejimakor added that self-representation, though unusual, was sometimes necessary in politically charged cases where “lawyers’ professional restrictions might limit the full moral and ideological defence of the accused.”
Kanu, who has been detained since 2021, initially named 23 witnesses—including governors, ministers, and former security chiefs—but later shelved plans to call them.
The court will reconvene on November 7 to determine whether he will finally present his defense or forfeit the right, as the judge indicated.
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