In a dramatic 11th-hour legal maneuver, Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has filed a fresh motion seeking to stop the Federal High Court in Abuja from delivering its judgment in his long-running terrorism trial, scheduled for November 20.
The motion, filed personally by Kanu on November 10, comes after Justice James Omotosho had fixed the judgment date, following the defendant’s refusal to open his defence despite being granted six days to do so.
Kanu, who is facing terrorism-related charges in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, pleaded not guilty to allegations of leading a separatist movement, inciting violence through broadcasts, and illegally importing a radio transmitter.
In his new application, Kanu contends that his prosecution under the now-repealed Terrorism (Prevention) Amendment Act of 2013 is fundamentally flawed. He argues that the charges violate Sections 1(3), 36(1)–(12), and 42 of the 1999 Constitution, as well as Articles 7 and 26 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The move represents a last-ditch effort to halt the judicial process after the federal government had already closed its case. The court had previously granted Kanu multiple opportunities to present his defence, which he ultimately declined to do, leading the judge to set a date for judgment.
Legal observers now await the court’s decision on whether to entertain this late motion or proceed with the scheduled judgment, in a case that has drawn significant national and international attention.
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