Court Fixes November 20 For Judgement As Nnamdi Kanu Writes Trump

— Nnamdi Kanu

By St. Johnson Adegboyega

The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 20 for judgment in the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who is facing terrorism-related charges.

Justice James Omotosho announced the date on Friday after formally foreclosing the defence’s opportunity to present its case. The development followed Kanu’s continued refusal to enter his defence, insisting he could not be tried under what he described as a repealed law.

At Friday’s proceedings, the judge noted that the court had provided every lawful opportunity required under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution for Kanu to defend himself, but defendant repeatedly declined.

“This court has given opportunity to the defendant under Saud Saud 36 as required by the constitution, and I will not allow this to continue,” Justice Omotosho while ruling on the matter. “It is based on this, without hesitation, that I say that the defendant has waived tge tge right.”

With the defence now closed by the court, all parties await the judgment, which will be delivered on November 20.

In a dramatic escalation of his long-running legal and political battle with the Nigerian government, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has written a formal letter to the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, alleging an ongoing but “hidden genocide” against Judeo-Christians in the South-East region.

The letter, reportedly dispatched ahead of his court appearance at the Federal High Court in Abuja today, paints a grim picture of widespread persecution, which Kanu claims is being orchestrated with the backing or complicity of certain state actors.

According to him, extremist organisations such as Boko Haram, ISWAP and what he described as “Fulani militias” continue to terrorise Igbo communities and other minority Christian populations in parts of the South-East, Benue, Kogi and Delta States.

Kanu, who has been in detention since June 2021, also appealed directly to the U.S. government to support a supervised referendum on self-determination for the South-East. He insisted that the ongoing terrorism-related charges against him are politically motivated and aimed at silencing his long-standing agitation for Biafra.

In the letter, he described himself as a “Prisoner of Conscience” and a survivor of “four state-sponsored assassination attempts.” He reiterated his claim of being unlawfully abducted from Kenya in a controversial operation he insists violated both local and international legal frameworks.

The IPOB leader further aligned himself with President Trump’s earlier statements condemning alleged religious persecution in Nigeria. He urged the U.S. government not only to recognise the alleged killings as genocide but also to take “decisive diplomatic action” to ensure the protection of Judeo-Christian populations in the affected regions.

His message comes at a time of renewed tension as he prepares to make yet another appearance in court by November 20th.