Biafra: Court adjourns Kanu’s trial till Oct 16 as NMA panel continues medical review

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday shifted the further trial of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, over charges bordering on alleged terrorism, to October 16, 2025.

The trial judge, Justice James Omotosho, adjourned the case to October 16 following the inability of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to conclude its assessment of Kanu’s health status and present its report before the court.

At the last adjourned date, the judge had ordered the NMA President to constitute a board of medical experts to investigate the alleged deteriorating health of the IPOB leader.

The purpose of the medical examination was, among other things, to determine whether the medical facility at the headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) could cater for Kanu, or if he should be moved to the National Hospital as requested by the defendant.

The report is also expected to determine whether Kanu is fit to continue with his trial.

However, at Wednesday’s proceedings, counsel to the DSS, Mr Suraj Sa’ad, SAN, informed Justice Omotosho that the medical board had contacted them to indicate that the report was not ready for presentation as directed by the court.

The senior lawyer therefore applied for a one-week adjournment to enable the NMA medical board to conclude its investigation.

Following no objection to the request for adjournment by Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, who represented Kanu, Justice Omotosho fixed October 16 for the board to submit its report and for the court to determine the next line of proceedings.

It would be recalled that Kanu made a no-case submission shortly after the Federal Government concluded the presentation of its case against him, having called five witnesses and tendered some exhibits.

Kanu, through his lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, had on July 18 applied to the judge to dismiss the terrorism charges against him on the grounds that he was not properly or legally linked to any terrorism offences, and therefore asked the court to discharge and acquit him.

The senior lawyer drew the court’s attention to the fact that the charges against Kanu had been amended eight times, yet no witness came forward to testify that he was instigated to violence.

Insisting that the ingredients of the terrorism charges were not established throughout the trial, Agabi urged the judge to hold that no prima facie case had been made against Kanu to warrant calling him to enter a defence.

On its part, the Federal Government told the court that the threat by the Biafra nation agitator to break up the country and establish a Republic of Biafra was not a mere empty threat but a deliberate one.

The government said the detained IPOB leader made a broadcast on Biafra Radio where he openly and publicly declared his intention to break up Nigeria.

The Federal Government’s lawyer, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, said the broadcast by Kanu caused Nigerians to live in great fear and prayed Justice Omotosho to reject Kanu’s claim that he had no case to answer in the seven-count terrorism charge brought against him by the Federal Government.

In a ruling delivered last month, Justice James Omotosho dismissed the no-case submission filed by the IPOB leader and held that the DSS had established a prima facie case against Kanu.

He accordingly ordered Kanu to enter his defence, stating that the prosecution had succeeded in convincing the court beyond a reasonable doubt that he had a case to answer in the alleged terrorism charge brought against him by the Federal Government.

Justice Omotosho held that the evidence presented by the DSS through its five witnesses was such that Kanu needed to provide explanations regarding the allegations in the charge.

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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