Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), pleaded not guilty to terrorism and treason charges in a fresh trial in Nigeria on Friday, now under the fourth judge to oversee the case.
Kanu, a British citizen, was initially arrested in 2015 but disappeared while on bail in 2017. He was later apprehended in Kenya in 2021 and brought back to Nigeria to face trial on seven terrorism-related charges. Judge James Omotosho, the new presiding judge, scheduled further hearings for April 29, May 2, and May 6.
His trial has been marked by prolonged delays, multiple judge recusals, and unsuccessful bail applications. The ongoing legal battles have led him to seek possible negotiations with the Nigerian government.
Kanu Agabi, a senior lawyer now leading his defense, offered an apology to former presiding judge Binta Nyako—who recently stepped down from the case—as well as to prosecutor Adegboyega Awomolo and fellow defense lawyer Alloy Ejimakor over past courtroom tensions.
IPOB, which advocates for the secession of southeastern Nigeria—home to the Igbo ethnic group—has been designated a terrorist organization by Nigerian authorities. The struggle for Biafran independence echoes a bloody chapter in the country’s history, as over a million people died in the 1967–1970 civil war that erupted when the region attempted to secede.
