IPOB Rejects Federal High Court Ruling on Nnamdi Kanu, Vows Escalated Actions

 IPOB Rejects Federal High Court Ruling on Nnamdi Kanu, Vows Escalated Actions The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has issued a scathing ...

 IPOB Rejects Federal High Court Ruling on Nnamdi Kanu, Vows Escalated Actions

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has issued a scathing press statement completely rejecting the judgement delivered on 20th of November 2025 by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in the long-running terrorism and treasonable felony trial of IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

In the statement signed by Mazi Chika Edoziem, Head of the Directorate of State (DOS) of IPOB, the Self-determination organization described the Nigerian judiciary as “the Temple of Injustice and oppression” and accused it of serving as “a tool in the hand of the Nigerian establishment” to perpetuate what it called “centuries-old suppression” of the Biafran people’s quest for self-determination.

The D.O.S declared the entire trial and Thursday’s verdict “a charade,” insisting that the proceedings were “ab initio null and void” and lacked any legal foundation. IPOB reiterated its long-standing position that the case against Kanu collapsed in October 2022 when the Court of Appeal in Abuja discharged and acquitted him on all 15 counts, ruling that his extraordinary rendition from Kenya in June 2021 violated international law and extinguished Nigeria’s jurisdiction.

Rather than release Kanu in compliance with that appellate decision, the federal government appealed to the Supreme Court, which in December 2023 overturned the Court of Appeal’s discharge on technical grounds and ordered a continuation of the trial at the Federal High Court. Thursday’s ruling by Justice Omotosho is widely believed to have addressed the substantive charges, though the full text of the judgement had not been officially released at the time IPOB issued its statement.

Condemning the verdict in the strongest terms, IPOB accused the Nigerian state of choosing “genocide against the Biafran people” instead of obeying the 2022 appellate ruling and opening the door for “peaceful dialogue and referendum.” The group warned that neither judicial decisions nor military force would deter Biafrans from pursuing self-determination.

“The Directorate of State of the Indigenous People of Biafra shall in the coming days, weeks and months roll out actions that unambiguously repudiate today’s charade of a trial and judgement by Justice James Omotosho,” the statement concluded.

The strongly worded rejection signals a likely escalation of tensions in Nigeria’s south-east region, where IPOB’s armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), has been engaging Fulani terror herdsmen in the bushes.

As of Thursday evening, the Federal High Court and the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation had not issued any official reaction to IPOB’s statement. Civil society organizations and south-east political leaders are watching closely, with many expressing concern that the latest judicial development could further inflame IPOB sentiment and undermine fragile peace efforts in Nigeria.