The Federal High Court in Abuja has warned that it will close the defence of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, if he fails to open it at the next sitting.
This comes as Kanu, for the fourth consecutive time, refused to begin his defence in the seven-count terrorism charge filed against him by the Federal Government.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Kanu—who has chosen to represent himself after dismissing his legal team—insisted that he had no case to answer. He argued that there was no valid charge before the court, saying the offences alleged against him were unknown to Nigerian law.
He urged the trial judge, Justice James Omotosho, to take judicial notice of his pending motion challenging the court’s jurisdiction and to order his immediate release from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), where he has been held since 2021.
However, prosecution counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), faulted Kanu’s filings, describing them as incompetent and irregularly submitted. He urged the court to treat the documents as Kanu’s final written address and proceed to judgment, accusing the defendant of deliberately wasting the court’s time.
In a brief ruling, Justice Omotosho dismissed the prosecution’s objection, holding that Kanu’s filings would be considered in the court’s final judgment. He acknowledged that Kanu is not a trained lawyer and therefore granted him additional time to consult legal counsel.
The judge warned, however, that the defendant’s right to present his case would be foreclosed if he failed to open his defence within the allotted time. The matter was adjourned until Wednesday for continuation of trial.
