The Federal High Court in Abuja has moved forward the date for delivering judgment on the terrorism trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The new ruling date is now set for 26 September 2025 instead of the earlier date of 10 October.
The adjustment was confirmed after a notice was issued by the court registrar and shared by Mr Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor. The ruling will determine whether or not the IPOB leader will be freed from the terrorism charges filed against him.
Kanu, who was first arrested in 2015 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, has faced a long legal battle over his trial. In October 2022, the Court of Appeal in Abuja dismissed the terrorism charges and ordered his release, describing his extraordinary rendition to Nigeria as unlawful. However, the government challenged the decision at the Supreme Court, which in December 2023 overturned the ruling and ordered the continuation of his trial at the Federal High Court.
On 19 June 2025, the government closed its case after presenting five witnesses. Rather than open his defence, Kanu filed a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution failed to provide any evidence linking him to the alleged terrorism offences. His lawyers insisted that none of his alleged broadcasts on Radio Biafra led to criminal actions.
During the hearing in July, prosecution counsel Adegboyega Awomolo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, urged the court to dismiss the no-case submission, claiming that the government had presented enough evidence to warrant a defence. Kanu’s lead lawyer, Kanu Agabi, also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, countered that no proof was given to sustain the charges.
After listening to both sides, trial judge James Omotosho originally fixed 10 October for ruling. With the new decision, the court will now issue its verdict on 26 September, a date that will determine the next phase of the trial.