The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, in his terrorism trial has abandoned his earlier plan to call several prominent political figures and retired military officials as witnesses in his defence.
Initially, Kanu intended to call 23 witnesses, including Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, former Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), former Defence Minister Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd.), and other key government officials and former governors. This witness list was said to include individuals critical to establishing the defence narrative concerning military operations, government policy decisions, and custody conditions relevant to the terrorism charges against him.
The court had scheduled Kanu to open his defence on October 27th, 2025, following a ruling dismissing his no-case submission earlier in the year. At that time, the defence had applied for witness summons to call the named figures, underscoring the strategic importance of their testimonies.
However, in an unexpected turn, Kanu informed the Federal High Court, Abuja, of his decision to shelve the plan to call these witnesses, opting instead not to enter any defence. He maintained that there is no case against him and chose to withhold testimony. As a result, the court has adjourned the matter to November 4, 2025, for further proceedings.
The development marks a significant moment in the decade-long legal battle, with observers now awaiting the next phase of the trial to unfold.
