Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), pleaded not guilty to seven counts of terrorism and treason charges as his trial resumed in Nigeria on Friday. The case, now under its fourth judge, continues to be fraught with delays and legal complications.
Kanu, a British citizen, was first arrested in 2015 but vanished from Nigeria while on bail in 2017. He was rearrested in Kenya in 2021 and brought back to face trial in Nigeria.
The new presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho, scheduled trial dates for April 29, May 2, and May 6. Kanu’s trial has faced multiple postponements, judicial recusals, and two denied bail applications. In response to these setbacks, he has sought negotiations with the Nigerian government.
During Friday’s proceedings, Kanu Agabi, the senior lawyer now leading Kanu’s defence, offered an apology to Justice Binta Nyako—who recently recused herself—as well as to prosecutor Adegboyega Awomolo and fellow defence counsel Alloy Ejimakor for Kanu’s past courtroom outbursts.
IPOB, which advocates for the secession of southeastern Nigeria, has been designated a terrorist organisation by the Nigerian government. The region previously attempted to secede as the Republic of Biafra in 1967, sparking a civil war that claimed over a million lives—the same year Kanu was born.
