Court fixes date to deliver judgment in Nnamdi Kanu’s terrorism trial
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, fixed 20 November for judgment in the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on alleged terrorism offences.
Justice James Omotosho fixed the date after Mr Kanu’s defence was foreclosed following his insistence that he would not enter his defence under a repealed law.
“This court has given opportunity to the defendant under Section 36 as required by the constitution, and I will not allow this to continue,” Justice Omotosho said.
“It is based on this, without hesitation, that I say that the defendant has waived his right,” Justice Omotosho said.
The court had earlier on Friday given Mr Kanu about one hour to file documents he claimed he needed to file.
PREMIUM TIMES reports that the judge had, on Wednesday, given Mr Kanu the last chance to open his defence, a scenario that had repeatedly played out in the previous month in the case.
The Nigerian government has been prosecuting Mr Kanu on seven charges, mostly terrorism-related, since 2015.
The charges stemmed from his alleged violent secessionist campaigns for the independence of the Igbo-dominated South-eastern part of Nigeria as Biafra.
But the dual Nigerian and British citizen has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
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The prosecution closed its case with five witnesses in June.
After the prosecution closed its case, Mr Kanu filed a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution failed to lead credible evidence against him to warrant putting forward any defence.
However, in September, the judge dismissed the no-case submission, ruling that he had a case to answer and should enter his defence.
Since then, several proceedings have been scheduled for him to start his defence after he suddenly disengaged his lawyers and told the court that he would defend himself.
The case was adjourned several times in the past month to keep the window of defence open, while Mr Kanu continued to maintain that there is no valid charge against him to defend.
He argued that the charges against him “were brought under a repealed terrorism law.”
Following Mr Kanu’s insistence that the charges were invalid, the judge, Mr Omotosho, on Wednesday, reminded him of the need to keep his “gun powder dry” for his defence.
Mr Kanu said he would need to consult with his four legal consultants, whom he named as Nnaemeka Ejiofor, Aloy Ejimakor, Maxwell Okpara and Mandela Umegborogu, after which the case was adjourned to Friday (today).