, resumed on Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja){kind=link}
The trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), resumed on Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, marking a significant development in a legal battle that has spanned nearly a decade.
Presiding over the case, Justice James Omotosho previously approved a request from the Federal Government allowing prosecution witnesses to testify behind protective screens, citing security concerns.
During Tuesday’s session, lead defence lawyer Kanu Agabi informed the court that he had assembled a legal team of 22 members. However, the judge insisted that only 13 of them would be officially recognized.
The defence now includes four senior advocates: Audu Nunghe, Joseph Akubo, Emeka Etiaba, and Onyechi Ikpeazu.
The charges against Kanu, centred on terrorism and treasonable felony, date back to 2015, following his initial arrest in Lagos.
Despite the high-profile nature of the case, various legal and procedural challenges have delayed witness testimonies and evidence presentation until now.
Originally, Kanu was arraigned alongside four others. But in February 2018, Justice Binta Nyako then overseeing the matter, ordered that Kanu be tried separately after he fled the country.
That decision enabled the court to proceed with the trial of the remaining defendants.
Kanu was eventually re-arrested by Nigerian authorities in Kenya and returned to the country in June 2021.
The current proceedings are seen as a pivotal moment in a protracted legal saga that has drawn both national and international attention.