IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has condemned the ongoing trial of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, describing it as a “sham” and a direct indictment of Nigeria’s judiciary.

In a statement issued on Friday, IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, reacted to proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, where the Federal Government formally closed its case after presenting five witnesses. The final witness, a Department of State Services (DSS) officer identified only as “PW5–EEE”, reportedly attempted to link Kanu to the 2020 #EndSARS protests.

Powerful dismissed the claim as “absurd” and “morally obscene”, stating that the government’s attempt to blame Kanu for the youth-led protests against police brutality was a “desperate narrative” built on falsehood and manipulation.

“June 19, 2025, marks a pivotal moment in a case that has from inception been sustained by deceit, media manipulation, evidentiary fraud, and a campaign to criminalise self-determination,” the statement read. “The prosecution’s attempt to connect Kanu to #EndSARS is intellectually bankrupt and morally offensive.”

The defence team, led by former Attorney General and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Kanu Agabi, indicated plans to file a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had failed to provide any credible evidence to support the terrorism charges against the IPOB leader.

Emma Powerful noted that the DSS witness fumbled under cross-examination by Chief Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, describing the officer as “evasive, contradictory, and pathetically unprepared”. He added that Justice James Omotosho was visibly frustrated during the proceedings and had to compel the witness to give direct answers to basic questions.

Among other concerns raised by IPOB were the alleged lack of verifiable evidence linking Kanu to any violent activity, the absence of names or documents identifying the 200 security personnel reportedly killed in the South-East, and claims that critical intelligence reports were only fabricated in June 2025—years after the alleged incidents.

“The unsigned autopsy and coroner’s reports, the absence of named victims or eyewitnesses, and the inconsistencies in the prosecution’s timeline expose the fraudulent nature of this trial,” Powerful stated.

He also accused the Nigerian media of selective reporting, stating that while accusations from the government are widely published, the defence’s rebuttals and courtroom revelations are often ignored.

IPOB called on Nigerians and the international community to request Certified True Copies of court proceedings, insisting that Kanu’s trial is an attempt to silence a peaceful advocate of self-determination.

The case was adjourned until July 18, 2025, for the adoption of written addresses on the no-case submission.

PUNCH