FG Insists Nnamdi Kanu Must Face Trial, Accuses Him of Deadly Broadcasts

The Federal Government has reiterated its determination to prosecute Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), insisting he must face trial on terrorism-related charges. According to iReporter Online, government counsel Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) strongly opposed Kanu’s latest attempt to dismiss the case through a no-case submission, arguing that sufficient evidence has been presented to warrant a full trial.

The prosecution maintained that Kanu’s public broadcasts, particularly one aired on Radio Biafra, revealed a clear intention to destabilize Nigeria by calling for the creation of a Biafran Republic. Awomolo contended that the broadcast wasn’t mere rhetoric but a direct incitement, which resulted in widespread fear across the country. He argued that such declarations, especially when made by a known leader of a proscribed organization, amount to a grave national security threat.

According to iReporter Online, Awomolo alleged that Kanu had urged his followers to target and kill law enforcement agents and their families. This, he claimed, was followed by the death of over 170 security officers, making Kanu’s role in the crisis too serious to be ignored. The prosecution further stated that Nigerian law does not tolerate inciting remarks designed to leave citizens in constant fear, adding that Kanu’s threats to destroy the nation were neither symbolic nor accidental.

Kanu, through his lead counsel Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), mounted a rigorous defense, urging the court to throw out the charges. Agabi argued that none of the five witnesses brought by the Department of State Services had testified to being incited by Kanu’s words. According to iReporter Online, he insisted that no credible investigation or report was presented to support the terrorism allegations.

The defense maintained that Kanu’s comments were nothing more than exaggerated expressions in reaction to the mass killings in the Southeast, and that his call for self-defense had also been echoed by respected Nigerians like retired General T.Y. Danjuma. Agabi dismissed the so-called threats as political bravado, not terrorist activity.

He also raised alarm over Kanu’s alleged solitary confinement for a period spanning nearly a decade, arguing that such treatment violates international human rights laws which limit solitary detention to no more than 15 days. Agabi concluded by stating that the repeated amendments to the charges—eight in total—without concrete testimony prove the weakness of the case.

Justice James Omotosho, after hearing both sides, adjourned the matter until October 10, when he is expected to deliver a ruling on whether Kanu has a case to answer.