Court Orders Accelerated Trial of Nnamdi Kanu on Treason Charges
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered an accelerated hearing of the seven-count treasonable felony charge brought against the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, by the Federal Government.
The trial, which began afresh following the reassignment of the case to Justice James Omotosho, saw Kanu pleading not guilty to the allegations levelled against him.
The development comes after Justice Binta Nyako, who had previously presided over the case, withdrew from the matter after Kanu accused her of bias.
Justice Nyako had earlier adjourned the trial indefinitely, or sine die, until the Chief Judge of the High Court, Justice John Tsoho, reassigned the case to Justice Omotosho, prompting Kanu to take a fresh plea on Friday.
During the hearing, Kanu’s new lead counsel, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Kanu Agabi, SAN, presented a written apology from his client to both Justice Nyako and the prosecution counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN.
Kanu expressed regret for his outburst in open court on 10 February when his case was adjourned indefinitely. He admitted that he had been overtaken by emotions and pledged to maintain good conduct throughout the trial.
Agabi, SAN, told the court that while his client had reason to feel aggrieved, his reaction was inappropriate.
“My lord, in expressing his anger, he attacked the Federal High Court, Justice Binta Nyako, the prosecutor, and his own lawyers,” Agabi said. “I hereby apologise to Justice Binta Nyako. She did not deserve the unjust attack. I apologise to Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN. He deserves the highest respect and was unfairly castigated. I appeal for forgiveness. Kanu is a good man, but he is not perfect. He was only defending the cause of the Igbo people, who are resilient, fearless, and using their God-given talents to make a good account of themselves.”
Agabi called for peaceful resolution of differences, stressing that violence was not the answer.
In response, Chief Awomolo, SAN, said he was moved by the plea and had forgiven Kanu for the allegations made against him. He clarified that he was not persecuting Kanu but only seeking a swift resolution of the case.
Following the exchange, the prosecution requested an adjournment to enable it to assemble witnesses for the next hearing.
With no objection from Kanu’s legal team, Justice Omotosho adjourned the case to 29 April, 2 May, and 6 May 2025, for a full trial.
Kanu’s legal battle has spanned over a decade. He was first arrested in Lagos on 14 October 2015 upon his return from the United Kingdom.
After spending about 18 months in detention, the court granted him bail on health grounds on 25 April 2017. He was released from Kuje Prison three days later after meeting the bail conditions.
However, Kanu fled the country after soldiers raided his family home in Afara Ukwu Ibeku, Umuahia, Abia State — an operation that reportedly resulted in the deaths of some of his followers. He was re-arrested in Kenya on 19 June 2021 and was extraordinarily renditioned back to Nigeria on 27 June 2021.
Since then, Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). On 8 April 2022, the court struck out eight of the 15 charges filed against him, declaring them baseless.
However, the Federal Government appealed the decision, and on 15 December 2023, the Supreme Court overturned the Court of Appeal’s ruling, allowing the trial on the remaining seven counts to proceed.
Justice Omotosho’s order for an accelerated trial now sets the stage for what could be a decisive legal showdown.
