The leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, who is facing charges of terrorism, will begin his self-defence before a Federal High Court in Abuja today.

Kanu will begin his defence after he sacked his legal team for the sixth time and confirmed to the court that he was prepared to defend himself.

The six legal teams, which have represented Kanu, include the lead defence counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), who announced that the team of Senior Advocates of Nigeria in the matter, comprising Onyechi Ikpeazu, Paul Erokoro, Joseph Akubo and Emeka Etiaba, will be withdrawing from the matter.

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Agabi explained that the reason for their withdrawal “is because the defendant has taken this case back from us and we respect that.”

Following Agabi’s announcement, Justice Omotosho sought Kanu’s response and he confirmed that he was prepared to defend himself and conduct the case by himself.

Justice Omotosho then ordered other members of the defendant’s legal team who were in court, except the SANs, to vacate the courtroom immediately.

The judge then turned to the defendant and asked him to open his case.

Kanu commenced arguing about the jurisdiction of the court to further conduct his trial, but the court overruled him and asked him to proceed with his defence.

At that point, Ikpeazu intervened and drew the attention of the court to the fact that the legal team’s withdrawal took effect on the morning of Thursday, and as such, Kanu would need some time to gather his thoughts and compose himself for the task ahead.

The prosecuting lawyer did not object, following which Justice Omotosho adjourned till today for Kanu to open his defence.

How Kanu swapped 6 legal teams, judges

In the course of his trial, Kanu’s case has been handled by six different legal teams and transferred to six different judges in Abuja.

The following are some of the lawyers sacked by Kanu:

Vincent Obetta

Vincent Obetta appeared for Kanu immediately after he was arrested and charged before a Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 2 in 2015. A disagreement forced him out of the legal team in 2016.

Ifeanyi Ejiofor

He became Kanu’s lawyer in 2016 and led the team, which comprised Maxwell Opara, Nnaemeka Ejiofor, among others, when the matter was moved to the Federal High Court.

Chuks Muomah

Chuks Muomah, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, appeared for Kanu in 2016 and decided to withdraw after a controversy involving his defence for one of the defendants, Madubugwu, who also had another lawyer.

Aloy Ejimakor

He has been working as Kanu’s special counsel with a team of lawyers since 2019.

Mike Ozekhome

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria and his legal team also appeared in January 2022.

Kanu Agabi

In 2025, Kanu Agabi led his colleagues among the most prominent Senior Advocates of Nigeria, including Onyechi Ikpeazu, Paul Erokoro, Joseph Akubo, and Emeka Etiaba. They withdrew from the matter on October 23, after Kanu indicated his intention to represent himself.

Although there are reports that Kanu sacked his current lawyers to enable him to present unfettered evidence of the alleged atrocities committed against him and his supporters in the country, one of his now dropped lawyers, Maxwell Opara, said the constitution provides him the rights to choose his lawyers or to represent himself.

Similarly, the following judges have handled the matter:

Magistrate Shuaibu Usman

He presided over the matter at the Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, where Kanu was charged with belonging to an unlawful society and criminal intimidation of the president. The court ordered his discharge for want of evidence.

However, the Department of State Services (DSS) said it found fresh evidence of criminal conspiracy and terrorism financing against Kanu, which robbed the court of the jurisdiction to try the matter.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola

After the DSS withdrew the trial at the Magistrate Court, the matter was brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja before Justice Adeniyi Ademola. The judge in December 2015 ordered the release of Kanu for being charged with similar offences, on which he had been previously discharged.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed

The DSS, in the same December 2025, had the matter re-assigned to Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the same Federal High Court in Abuja on fresh six-count charges of treason, importation of illegal radio station and possession of firearms, alongside two other members of the IPOB. Kanu, however, refused to enter the plea until the previous two rulings were honoured by the government.

Subsequently, the judge recused himself from the case and directed the return of the DSS file to the chief judge, Abdul Kafarati, now late.

Justice John Tsoho

In 2016, the matter of treason and importation of an illegal radio transmitter was reassigned to Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court.

However, Kanu’s legal team filed a petition against Justice Tsoho before the National Judicial Council (NJC), accusing him of “judicial rascality” in his alleged parallel rulings on shielding of witnesses for the main trial by reversing a previous favourable ruling to the defence.

Consequently, Justice Tsoho in September 2016 decided to recuse himself from the matter pending the outcome of the NJC probe.

Justice Binta Nyako

In November 2016, the office of the Attorney General of the Federation filed an amended 11-count charges against Kanu and two others – Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi – now discharged, on allegations of terrorism, treasonable felony, managing an unlawful society, publication of defamatory matter, illegal possession of firearms and improper importation of goods.

All the counts were in connection with the accused persons’ alleged broadcasts on Radio Biafra and agitation for the secession from states in the South-East and South-South zones and other communities in Kogi and Benue states, to constitute a Republic of Biafra.

However, in April 2017, Justice Nyako granted Kanu bail on health grounds. In September 2017, Kanu allegedly jumped bail after the military’s Operation Python Dance allegedly invaded his residence in Umuahia and killed several of his supporters.

In April 2022, Justice Nyako reduced eight of the 15-count charges brought against Kanu, who was in June 2021 arrested in Kenya and renditioned to Nigeria.

Dissatisfied, Kanu challenged the remaining seven-count charges before the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which, on October 13, 2022, agreed with him and discharged and acquitted him.

However, the Supreme Court on December 15, 2023, ordered Kanu to return to the high court, explaining that, although he was illegally brought into the country, that did not invalidate the pending charges.

On September 23, 2024, during one of the hearing, Kanu, took the stage from his lawyers and expressed lack of confidence in the judge and asked her to recuse herself for not complying with the aspect of the apex court ruling on the illegality of the trial, this was after apologising to the judge and the prosecution counsel for similar comments in previous proceedings.

In recusing herself, the judge said she deemed it proper to remit the case file to the chief judge in the circumstances.

Justice James Omotosho

Following Justice Nyako’s recusal in 2024, Justice James Omotosho received the casefile and ordered an accelerated hearing in the matter, and the federal government has concluded its evidence.

Why Kanu summoned Wike, Umahi, Buratai, others

Kanu’s family and former lawyer have explained why he included some prominent current and former public officials on the list of defence witnesses he hopes to rely on as he begins the defence.

In the list he signed and filed on October 21, the witnesses are divided into two categories: Category A: ordinary but material defence witnesses (voluntary); and Category B: vital and compellable witnesses (to be summoned under Section 232 of the Evidence Act, 2011.

The compellable witnesses are: former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; former DG of the State Security Service (SSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi; former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd); a former Chief of Army Staff, Gen Tukur Buratai (rtd).

Others under the category are Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State; Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State; former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State; Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike; and Minister of Works and former Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi.  

Speaking on the list, the lawyer, who pleaded anonymity, said the list contained people who had a role to play in the crisis through high-handed suppression of peaceful rallies of the IPOB in the South-East.

Similarly, Kanu’s wife, Uche Okwu Kanu, posted on her X handle that the list was to expose the “high-level involvement – to show that powerful political and security officials were involved in his kidnap, rendition, and prosecution; implying a coordinated state conspiracy or abuse of power.

“Allow the Nigerian government to explain its action under oath; the framing of his case as terrorism rather than political persecution. That is, to use your relevant law to justify the classification of this case, whether it is truly about terrorism or it is a way to silence the quest for a better society.

“Firstly, Nnamdi Kanu had been discharged and acquitted, but the Nigerian government was defiant of this decree; they defied the Appeal Court’s ruling and order.”

“Apart from the procedural leverage here, we know that compelling these high-ranking officials to appear can slow proceedings, but it will complicate the prosecution’s case, and pressure the court to scrutinize the government’s conduct and hold the state accountable.”

“Implications: In a sane, structured society, Judge Omotosho would subpoena these individuals, and there would be public scrutiny, or political embarrassment if compelled to testify.”