The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 20 as the date for judgment in the terrorism case involving Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Justice James Omotosho scheduled the ruling after Kanu failed to open his defence within the six-day window granted by the court. Instead of proceeding with his defence, Kanu filed a new motion challenging both the competence of the charges and the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case.
At Friday’s proceedings, the court initially stood down the matter for an hour to allow Kanu, who is now representing himself after dismissing his legal team, to decide whether he would proceed with his defence. However, he later submitted a motion asserting that his trial was unlawful because the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, under which the case was filed, had allegedly been repealed.
Kanu maintained that his prosecution was anchored on “a non-existent law” and therefore invalid. His motion is now before the court alongside the substantive case for consideration.
The embattled IPOB leader faces a seven-count charge bordering on terrorism, which the Federal Government says stems from his alleged incitement of violence and threats to national unity.
Justice Omotosho’s decision to fix November 20 for judgment brings the long-running case closer to a decisive conclusion, marking another critical phase in one of Nigeria’s most politically charged trials.
