28/10/2025
Detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has abandoned an earlier plan to call witnesses in his ongoing trial for alleged terrorism offences.
He told a Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday that he had realised there was no valid charge against him, maintaining that the evidence led so far had not established a case against him that required him to enter a defence.
The court had, on October 24, adjourned till yesterday for Kanu to open his defence. The accused had written to the court, indicating his intention to call witnesses and applied for a witness summons.
Believing that Kanu would open his defence yesterday, the court reserved about five seats, with each labelled “summoned witness. When the case was called, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) announced his appearance, along with some other lawyers, for the prosecution.
Kanu also announced his name and said he was representing himself, following which Awomolo reminded the court that the business of the day was for the defendant to open his defence.
Responding, the IPOB leader, who earlier sat in the dock, stood up and said he had gone through the case files and found that “there is actually no charge against me.”
He argued that there is no extant law in the country on which the prosecution could premise its case, insisting: “There is no case against me. If there is no case against me, it will be futile for me to enter any defence.”
At that point, Justice James Omotosho intervened and took the time to explain to Kanu that, in a criminal trial, the defendant has only three options after the prosecution has closed its case.
The presiding judge said the first option was for the defendant to make a no-case submission, and when overruled, the defendant is then required to enter a defence.
He said that where a defendant chose not to open his/her defence or conduct any defence at all, such a defendant can decide to rest on the prosecution’s case, and then file a written address, to which the prosecution will be required to reply, and the court delivers judgment.