The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 20, 2025, for judgment in the terrorism trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Justice James Omotosho set the date after Kanu declined to open his defence, despite being granted six days to do so. The court ruled that the defendant’s refusal amounted to a forfeiture of his right to present evidence, adding that the matter would proceed to judgment based on the prosecution’s case.

Kanu is standing trial on a seven-count charge bordering on terrorism, incitement, and membership of a proscribed organisation. The Federal Government accuses him of promoting separatist activities and coordinating violent acts in Nigeria’s South-East through IPOB broadcasts.

The defence had previously argued that the charges were incompetent and filed under a repealed section of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act. However, the court held that it retained jurisdiction to proceed with the case.

Kanu was first arrested in 2015 and released on bail in 2017 before fleeing the country. He was later re-arrested in 2021 and returned to Nigeria to face trial, a move his lawyers described as an “extraordinary rendition.”