Mr Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has named former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, as one of his witnesses in his ongoing trial for alleged terrorism.
In a fresh motion personally signed and submitted before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Kanu declared that he was fully prepared to start his defence as directed by the court.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015 and dated 20th October, was officially filed on 21st October.
The application was titled: “Notice of Number and Names of Witnesses to be Called by the Defendant and Request for Witness Summons/Subpoena and the Variation of the Time Within Which to Defend the Counts/Charges against the Defendant.”
The IPOB leader explained that the motion was “pursuant to the order of this honourable court made on the 16th day of October 2015, directing the defendant to commence his defence on the 24th day of October 2025.”
Kanu informed the court of his intention to present 23 witnesses in total, grouped into two categories.
He said the first category would consist of those he referred to as “ordinary but material witnesses.”
He further explained that the second category would include “vital and compellable” witnesses who would be “summoned under Section 232 of the Evidence Act, 2011.”
He urged the court to consider granting a 90-day period to enable him to conclude his defence due to the number of witnesses he plans to call.
Kanu also indicated that he would “testify on his own behalf, providing a sworn account of the facts, denying the allegations, and explaining the political context of his statements and actions.”
Among the “compellable witnesses” listed by Kanu are the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike; former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd); former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd); Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State; and Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State.
Others include the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; former Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu; former Director General (DG) of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; former Director General of the State Security Service, Yusuf Bichi; and several unnamed witnesses whose identities were not revealed.
In his motion, Kanu promised to “provide the sworn statements of all voluntary witnesses to this honourable court, and to notify the prosecution within a reasonable time.”
He also assured that “no precious time of the honourable court would be delayed.”
He added that “it would interest the honourable court and the general public that justice is not only done but manifestly seen to have been done.”
This new motion followed an earlier preliminary objection filed by Kanu, contesting the jurisdiction of the court to continue hearing his case.
The objection was filed on the same day a panel of medical experts, appointed by the court to assess his health status, submitted their report confirming that he was medically fit to face trial.
Meanwhile, a magistrate court in Abuja on Tuesday ordered the detention of Kanu’s special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, along with 12 others arrested during a protest organised by Omoyele Sowore on Monday over Kanu’s continued detention and trial.
The police charged the 13 individuals with several offences, including criminal conspiracy, disobedience of a lawful order, inciting disturbance, and public disturbance, contrary to Sections 152, 114, and 113 of the Penal Code Law.
Those named in two separate First Information Reports (FIRs) are Ejimakor; Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel; Joshua Emmanuel; Wilson Anyalewechi; Okere Nnamdi; Clinton Chimeneze; Gabriel Joshua; Isiaka Husseini; Onyekachi Ferdinand; Amadi Prince; Edison Ojisom; Godwill Obioma; and Chima Onuchukwu.
The magistrate directed that all defendants be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre until their arraignment scheduled for 24th October.
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