Nnamdi Kanu Returns To court As Terrorism Trial resumes In Abuja

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, appeared at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday as his terrorism trial resumed amid tight security.

Kanu’s Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, confirmed his client’s presence and that of the presiding judge in a post on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “We have all arrived for today’s Mazi Nnamdi Kanu court. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is here. The Judge is here. The court is convened. We are awaiting our turn on the docket.”

The renewed hearing marks another chapter in a case that has gripped both national and international attention since Kanu’s controversial return to Nigeria in June 2021.

Kanu, a British-Nigerian activist and founder of IPOB, was first arrested in 2015 on charges of treasonable felony. He was granted bail in 2017 but fled Nigeria following a military raid on his home in Abia State. He was later rearrested and extradited from Kenya under circumstances his lawyers described as “extraordinary rendition.”

The Nigerian government later amended the charges against him, increasing them to 15 counts that included terrorism and incitement through his broadcasts. Although the Court of Appeal discharged him in 2022, the Supreme Court overturned that ruling in December 2023, allowing the case to continue.

Kanu’s legal team has repeatedly complained about his health condition, limited access to his lawyers, and the government’s failure to obey previous court orders regarding his bail and detention.

His supporters and rights groups continue to call for his unconditional release and a political solution to the unrest in the Southeast.

Security operatives were stationed in and around the court as the proceedings resumed. The matter is expected to continue later in the day as Kanu’s lawyers contest the legality of his detention and the charges against him.