The Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has filed a fresh motion before the Court of Appeal seeking to halt further proceedings in his ongoing terrorism trial before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
In the application filed on Wednesday, Kanu asked the appellate court to issue an order stopping the delivery of judgment earlier fixed for November 20, 2025, pending the determination of his appeal challenging the trial court’s decisions.
According to the motion filed pursuant to Section 36(1) of the Nigerian Constitution, Kanu contended that proceeding with the case would violate his constitutional right to a fair hearing, as key jurisdictional issues remain unresolved.
His appeal, forwarded Nigerian Newssphere by his Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, specifically challenged the trial court’s refusal to rule on his “no-case submission,” its decision to proceed despite alleged defects in the terrorism charges, and its foreclosure of his right to call witnesses in his defence.
Kanu argued that the trial court “refused to determine its jurisdiction and the validity of the counts under which the appellant is being tried,” insisting that continuing the trial under a repealed terrorism law amounts to a grave miscarriage of justice.
He further warned that if the application is not granted, he risks being “unlawfully convicted without the opportunity to know the validity of the counts or offer a proper defence.”
In an affidavit personally deposed to from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), Kanu stated that he had personally assumed responsibility for his defence and appeal, adding that his latest appeal raises “substantial and constitutional issues of law,” including the trial court’s alleged reliance on repealed statutes and disregard of Supreme Court directives.
The case, which has dragged on since 2015, remains one of Nigeria’s most closely watched legal battles, with implications for both the judicial process and the wider Biafra agitation.
If the Court of Appeal grants Kanu’s request, the November 20 judgment date could be suspended pending the outcome of the new appeal.
