Heavy Security Heightened In South-East As Court Set To Deliver Ruling In Nnamdi Kanu’s Trial
Security has been heightened across the South-East as the Federal High Court in Abuja is set to deliver judgment today in the alleged terrorism trial of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Kanu, who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services since June 2021 following what his lawyers insist was an “extraordinary rendition” from Kenya, is to know his fate in a legal battle that has lasted nearly a decade.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court had on November 7 fixed Thursday, November 20, for judgment after ruling that Kanu failed to open his defence within the six days allocated to him.
Naija News House had reported that the IPOB leader had filed a motion challenging the validity of the terrorism charges against him, arguing that the repealed Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act rendered the charges unlawful.
He asked the court to strike out the case, expunge the “purported plea of not guilty entered by him,” and order his release.
He had maintained that the proceedings were a nullity and sought an order directing his release on the grounds that the charges “disclosed no offence known to law.”
However, Justice Omotosho held that Kanu could not claim a denial of fair hearing after refusing to utilise the opportunity given to him, reiterating that “no ruling or preliminary objection would be determined at this stage.”
Kanu’s legal journey has been characterised by years of adjournments, appeals, and counter-applications.
In October 2022, the Court of Appeal discharged him, declaring his rendition from Kenya a violation of international law.
The Federal Government appealed, and the Supreme Court reversed the decision, returning the case to the trial court.
His continued detention has drawn national and international attention, with several Igbo groups, human-rights organisations, and South-East political leaders calling for his release as a means of reducing regional insecurity.
Kanu has also filed a fresh suit before the Court of Appeal seeking to halt today’s judgment, but the appellate court has not fixed a date for hearing and has issued no order.
In anticipation of the judgment, the police in Abia State, Kanu’s home state, said security arrangements had been strengthened to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Maureen Chinaka, the state Commissioner of Police, Danladi Isa, noted that Abia remains peaceful, but the command “has already placed security coverage to monitor the entire state.”
She quoted Isa as saying, “We put some security strategies in place to make sure there is no breakdown of law and order.”
Chinaka added that the police are working closely with other security agencies.
“Officers of the Abia State Police Command, under the Commissioner of Police, are all out to ensure that law and order are maintained… So, Abia is safe… The command is always out to ensure that the state is safe,” she said, according to PUNCH.
She also stressed that security patrols already take place every Monday, adding that the command “is not expecting any anti-behaviour on Thursday, whichever way the judgment goes.”
Naija News House had also reported that Kanu filed a direct criminal complaint against two Department of State Services witnesses, identified in court as TAA (PW1) and BBB (PW2), accusing them of giving “false evidence on oath” during his trial.
The complaint, dated November 13 and signed by Kanu, was filed before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Abuja and lists Mr TAA, Mr BBB, the Attorney General of the Federation (Lateef Fagbemi, SAN), and the DSS Director General (Adewale Adeleye or his successor) as defendants.
According to the filing, “On diverse dates between May and July 2025… Mr TAA and Mr BBB… wilfully gave false evidence on oath, knowing same to be false,” thereby committing perjury contrary to Sections 156, 158, and 159 of the Penal Code.
Kanu alleged that TAA falsely denied knowing Mr Brown Ekwoaba, the DSS Assistant Director (Investigations) who allegedly supervised Kanu’s 2015 interviews and detention, a claim contradicted by affidavits and public records cited in the complaint.
He further accused BBB of contradicting himself by testifying that he had never met Kanu except in court, despite earlier statements that he led Kanu’s video interview at the DSS Headquarters on July 17, 2021.
Kanu argued that the allegedly false testimony by the masked DSS operatives sought to obscure the true chain of custody of his statements.
As the nation awaits today’s ruling, tension and anticipation remain high over a trial widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most politically sensitive cases in recent years.
