Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has again given the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, till November 7, 2025, to defend the terrorism charges brought against him by the federal government or waive his right to do so.
This is as Kanu stood his ground in the open court on Wednesday, that there were no valid terrorism charges against him and would offer no defence to the one against him by the federal government.
Justice Omotosho, who offered Kanu another opportunity, said he granted the fresh opportunity to the defendant in the interest of justice and to the nation.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, when Kanu was called to open his defence, instead of doing so, the IPOB leader faulted the charges, insisting that he had nothing to defend in respect of a repealed law.
Rather than responding to the business of the day, he took hours addressing the court on why the charges against him cannot stand.
Among others, he said, the Supreme Court in the judgment that ordered his trial made it abundantly clear to the federal government to amend the charge because the one against him had been repealed.
Kanu said that up till now, the charge had not been amended by the prosecution, thereby violating the order of the apex court.
The IPOB leader persistently insisted that the refusal of the federal government to amend the charge was fatal to his trial, adding that no trial can hold in a repealed law.
Kanu said, “The Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act has been repealed. I cannot put in defence under a repealed law. I won’t do that.”
At this point, Justice Omotosho reminded him of the need to keep his gun powder dry, but he declined, maintaining he had not seen any reason to open defence in the instant charge.
At a point, he agreed to open up the defence and that he would need to consult with his four legal consultants.
He named Nnaemeka Ejiofor, Aloy Ejimakor, Maxwell Okpara and Mandela Umegborogu as his four legal consultants to consult.
Based on this, the Judge repeated his plea to him to consult with legal practitioners conversant with criminal laws to aid his defence.
Earlier, counsel to the federal government, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, had requested the Judge to stand on the order of the court that Kanu should open defence or waive his right to do so.
Justice Omotosho, however, said he was inclined to bend backwards again to give Kanu another opportunity to have a rethink to open defence or forget it.
The IPOB leader has been in detention since he was brought back to Nigeria from Kenya in June 2021 under controversial circumstances.
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