The Nnamdi Kanu trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja has reached a critical juncture. On Friday, presiding judge James Omotosho fixed 20 November 2025 as the date for delivering judgment in the terrorism case against the leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The ruling follows repeated delays in the defence phase. Kanu was allocated six days to open his defence but, after exhausting that window without doing so, the court ruled that he has effectively waived his right to present further oral defence. Judge Omotosho held that Kanu cannot now claim a denial of his constitutionally guaranteed right to a fair hearing.
Kanu had challenged the charges against him on the basis that the applicable law—the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act—had been repealed and thus the court lacked jurisdiction.
The prosecution, however, has proceeded with a seven-count terrorism indictment linked to Kanu’s leadership of IPOB and his alleged incitement of violence in the south-east.
By setting the date for judgment now, the court signals that the defence phase is closed and the trial will move directly to final submissions and verdict. Should Kanu be convicted, he faces severe penalties under Nigerian law.
The decision to fix judgment comes amid heightened attention to the trial, which has stirred regional tensions and raised questions about due process and the handling of politically-sensitive separatist cases in Nigeria.
Security concerns in the south-east have intensified in recent years; human-rights organisations have flagged the trial as part of a wider crackdown on dissent.
