The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to Friday, October 24, for the defendant to open his defence.
At Thursday’s proceedings, Kanu Agabi, SAN, who led the IPOB leader’s legal team, informed the court of their decision to withdraw legal representation.
“The reason for our withdrawal is because the defendant has taken this case back from us, and we respect that,” Agabi told the court.
Other senior lawyers who also withdrew from the case include Onyechi Ikpeazu, Joseph Akubo, Paul Erokoro, Emeka Etiaba, and one other.
Confirming the development, Kanu told the court that he had dismissed his legal team and would henceforth conduct his own defence. When asked by the presiding judge whether he would like the court to assign him counsel, he declined.
The court subsequently asked Kanu to proceed with his defence, but he began by challenging the court’s jurisdiction to continue with the trial. The judge, however, overruled his objection and insisted that he must proceed.
At that point, Ikpeazu, SAN, who acknowledged that they were no longer representing Kanu, pleaded that the court grant the defendant some time to gather his thoughts and prepare his defence.
Since the prosecution did not object, Justice Omotosho adjourned the case till Friday, October 24, for Kanu to open his defence.
Kanu, who was first arrested in 2015, fled the country after being granted bail in 2017. He was re-arrested in 2021 and has since been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The federal government continues to prosecute him on charges of terrorism, accusing him of inciting violence through IPOB’s activities and calling for the secession of the South-East region.
In a new application filed on Tuesday, Kanu indicated his intention to call two categories of witnesses — “ordinary but material witnesses” and “vital and compellable” witnesses to be summoned under Section 232 of the Evidence Act, 2011.
Among those listed as “vital and compellable” witnesses are former Minister of Defence, Theophilus Danjuma; former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma; and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Others named include former Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu; Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai; former DSS Director-General, Yusuf Bichi; and the current DSS DG, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi.