For the fourth consecutive time, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, on Tuesday, refused to open his defence in the terrorism trial filed against him by the Federal Government.
At the resumed hearing before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Kanu, who is now representing himself after dismissing his legal team, maintained that he has no case to answer.
He argued that since there is no valid charge before the court, there is no legal basis for him to either present a defence or file a final written address in response to the government’s allegations.
Kanu urged the court to take judicial notice of a motion and supporting affidavit he filed, challenging the court’s jurisdiction to continue the trial. He insisted that the offences alleged against him are not recognised under any existing Nigerian law, and demanded his immediate release from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), where he has been detained since 2021.
However, prosecution counsel Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) objected, questioning the competence of the documents filed by Kanu. He accused the IPOB leader of deliberately wasting the court’s time, urging the judge to deem the recent filings as Kanu’s final written address so that judgment could be delivered without further delay.
In a brief ruling, Justice Omotosho dismissed the prosecution’s objection, stating that the court would take Kanu’s documents into consideration while delivering judgment. The judge also noted that Kanu is not a trained lawyer and therefore deserves another opportunity to seek legal counsel for proper guidance.
Justice Omotosho cautioned that the court would foreclose Kanu’s right to defence if he fails to proceed within the allotted time. The matter was adjourned until Wednesday for the defendant to either open his defence or have his right to do so waived.
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