Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has rejected the latest bail application filed by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
He ruled that the application was “highly unmeritorious” and blocked by statutory provisions regulating criminal procedure in Nigeria.
While delivering the ruling, Justice Omotosho held that the court could not entertain a request amounting to a stay of proceedings in a criminal trial, citing Section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
Justice Omotosho further explained that the defendant’s request did not fall within the recognised categories of bail, namely bail pending trial or bail pending appeal, especially as the defendant had already entered a defence.
He recalled that on October 27, 2025, the court ordered the defendant to present his defence or file his final written address. The defence later filed both a motion and a detailed address, which the court considered to constitute the final address.
“In view of the statutory prohibition and the stage of the proceedings, the relief sought is without merit and is hereby dismissed,” the judge ruled.
He added that all issues raised in the defendant’s motion and accompanying written address would be resolved in the court’s final judgment.
Earlier, the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, addressed the judge and the court on why a ruling could not be delivered, arguing that the court was not competent to try him in the first instance.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court had on November 7 fixed Thursday, November 20, for judgment after ruling that Kanu failed to open his defence within the six days allocated to him.
SaharaReporters had reported that the IPOB leader filed a motion challenging the validity of the terrorism charges against him, arguing that the repealed Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act rendered the charges unlawful.
He asked the court to strike out the case, expunge the “purported plea of not guilty entered by him,” and order his release.
Kanu maintained that the proceedings were a nullity and sought an order directing his release on the grounds that the charges “disclosed no offence known to law.”
Kanu has also filed a fresh suit before the Court of Appeal seeking to halt today’s judgment, but the appellate court has not fixed a date for hearing and has issued no order.
In anticipation of the judgment, the police in Abia State, Kanu’s home state, said security arrangements had been strengthened to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
