The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has alleged that the ongoing trial of its detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, is politically motivated and tainted by “illegality and ethnic bias.”
The group made the allegations in a statement issued on Monday by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, ahead of Kanu’s next court appearance scheduled for October 8, 2025.
According to IPOB, the court proceedings have turned into “a political drama scripted in Aso Rock, directed by the Attorney-General, and acted out by the judiciary.”
‘Trial Under a Repealed Law’ — IPOB
In the statement, IPOB accused the presiding judge, Justice Donatus Okorowo Omotosho, of allowing the trial to continue under what it described as a repealed law — the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act, 2013 — instead of the current Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
> “No valid trial can proceed under a dead law. Justice Omotosho’s refusal to take judicial notice of this repeal violates every known legal principle,” the group claimed.
IPOB also criticised what it called a “black-market ex parte order” that it said was used to sustain Kanu’s detention, alleging that due process and adversarial hearing were ignored.
> “The use of civil procedure to anchor a criminal charge is an abomination,” IPOB said, calling the development “a desecration of justice that mocks Nigeria’s legal system.”
Claims of Political and Ethnic Influence
The separatist group further alleged that Nigeria’s judiciary has become “a tool of executive manipulation and ethnic partisanship,” accusing the courts of bowing to political influence from the Presidency.
> “The judiciary has collapsed under the weight of executive intimidation. Justice has become tribal, and fairness has been sacrificed at the altar of ethnic loyalty,” IPOB stated.
The group referenced the Supreme Court’s earlier observations regarding the revocation of Kanu’s bail, claiming that despite the apex court’s comments, the issue remains unresolved due to political interference.
Call for International Intervention
Reaffirming its stance on Kanu’s innocence, IPOB called on international bodies — including the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU), and ECOWAS — to intervene and monitor the proceedings, which it described as a “violation of constitutional and international law.”
> “Mazi Nnamdi Kanu committed no crime known to law. His only offence is demanding freedom for his people — an inalienable right enshrined in international law,” the statement said.
The group maintained that it remains “peaceful and resolute” despite what it described as judicial manipulation and political persecution.
Background
Kanu, who leads the proscribed IPOB movement, has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021, after being re-arrested abroad and extradited to Nigeria.
He faces multiple charges bordering on treasonable felony and terrorism, which the Nigerian government maintains are legitimate under existing laws.
Kanu and IPOB deny all allegations, insisting that their campaign for self-determination in southeastern Nigeria is lawful and non-violent.
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