he Federal High Court in Abuja has resumed proceedings in the long-running trial of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, with the prosecution set to present witnesses behind protective screens following Justice James Omotosho’s approval. The controversial separatist figure faces charges of terrorism and treasonable felony dating back to his initial 2015 arrest, though legal obstacles have stalled the case for nearly a decade.
Kanu’s defense team, now featuring four additional Senior Advocates of Nigeria including prominent lawyers Audu Nunghe and Onyechi Ikpeazu, clashed with the court over legal representation limits. Justice Omotosho restricted the defense to 13 members despite lead counsel Kanu Agabi’s request for 22 attorneys. The trial’s tortuous history includes Kanu’s 2017 flight from Nigeria and dramatic 2021 extradition from Kenya, which saw him separated from four original co-defendants whose cases proceeded separately.
Security remains exceptionally tight at the courthouse as prosecutors prepare to finally present their evidence – a development delayed for years by procedural challenges and Kanu’s international movements. Human rights observers and pro-Biafra activists have gathered outside the premises, while the government maintains the trial demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to upholding the rule of law against separatist movements.
ADBN TV will continue providing updates as this high-stakes case unfolds, with the next hearing expected to feature the shielded testimony of security witnesses about IPOB’s alleged activities.
