Abuja, 26 September 2025 – In a significant development in the ongoing trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed his no-case submission, paving the way for the defence phase of the proceedings.
Justice James Omotosho ruled that the prosecution had successfully established a prima facie case against Kanu, who faces charges related to terrorism and treasonable felony. The judge emphasised that this stage of the trial is not about proving guilt beyond reasonable doubt but merely determining whether the defendant needs to provide an explanation for the allegations levelled against him.
“The court finds that the prosecution has made out a case sufficient to warrant the defendant entering his defence,” Justice Omotosho stated in his ruling. He ordered Kanu to proceed with his defence, though no specific date for the next hearing has been announced yet.
Kanu, who was extradited from Kenya in June 2021 after jumping bail in 2017, has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his return. His legal team had argued that the evidence presented by the prosecution was insufficient to sustain the charges, but the court disagreed, marking a setback for the separatist leader.
In a separate but related ruling, the judge addressed Kanu’s application for an immediate transfer to the National Hospital in Abuja for specialised medical treatment. Kanu’s lawyers had cited a life-threatening heart condition, along with liver and kidney ailments and critically low potassium levels, as grounds for the urgent request.
However, Justice Omotosho rejected the plea, opting instead for an independent medical evaluation to clarify the discrepancies in the reports submitted by the defence and the DSS. He directed the President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to constitute a committee of medical experts to assess Kanu’s health status.
The committee is required to submit its findings to the court within eight days, a move intended to provide an impartial resolution to the conflicting medical opinions. “This will ensure transparency and help the court make an informed decision on the matter,” the judge noted.
Kanu’s trial has drawn widespread attention both domestically and internationally, with supporters arguing that it is politically motivated, while the Nigerian government maintains that it is a matter of national security. The case continues to highlight tensions surrounding separatist movements in the country’s southeast region.
