BREAKING: Nnamdi Kanu’s Lawyers Withdraw from Trial
In a dramatic twist, all members of the legal team representing Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), have withdrawn from his ongoing terrorism trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The development, confirmed early Monday, marks a major setback in the high-profile case that has drawn both domestic and international attention since Kanu’s arrest and extradition to Nigeria in 2021.
Lead counsel Aloy Ejimakor, alongside other senior members of the defence, announced their withdrawal in a formal notice filed before Justice Binta Nyako, citing persistent frustration, lack of cooperation from authorities, and violations of the defendant’s fair trial rights.
According to the notice, the lawyers accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of repeatedly obstructing their access to Kanu, hindering private consultations, and ignoring court orders meant to ensure the defendant’s right to adequate legal representation.
“Despite multiple directives from the court, our client has been denied confidential communication with his lawyers,” Ejimakor stated. “We can no longer ethically continue in a proceeding that undermines the fundamental principles of justice and due process.”
The withdrawal comes just days after Kanu’s legal team submitted a list of 23 witnesses, including former Chief of Army Staff Tukur Buratai, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, to testify in his defence — a move that reportedly heightened tensions between the defence and prosecution.
Sources close to the team disclosed that the lawyers had endured “months of intimidation, surveillance, and obstruction” during prison visits, which they said made effective representation impossible.
The court is expected to address the lawyers’ withdrawal at the next adjourned date, with the Federal Government’s prosecution counsel, led by Simon Lough (SAN), likely to oppose any delay to the trial.
Kanu’s supporters and rights groups have reacted sharply to the news, accusing the government of deliberately frustrating the defence to weaken his case. The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council has called for the intervention of the United Nations and African Union, insisting that the IPOB leader deserves a fair and transparent judicial process.
Kanu remains in the custody of the DSS, facing charges bordering on terrorism, treasonable felony, and incitement, which he has consistently denied, maintaining that his agitation for Biafra is a peaceful self-determination movement.
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