Orji Kanu has urged for fairness in Nnamdi Kanu’s trial as court fixes judgment for November 20.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that a prominent educationist and social analyst from Abia State, Hon. Emmanuel Orji Kanu, has called on all people of goodwill to intervene in the ongoing trial of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to ensure justice, fairness, and equity prevail.
Hon. Kanu, who is the National President of the Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED), made the appeal following Thursday’s court proceedings in Abuja, where the presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, fixed judgment for November 20, 2025.
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In a statement made available to journalists, Hon. Kanu described the case as one that has “sparked intense debate and concern” within and outside Nigeria. He cited allegations of extraordinary rendition, disobedience of court orders, and extrajudicial actions, noting that the matter has become a test of Nigeria’s conscience before the international community.
“The trial has raised serious questions about equality before the law. Many Nigerians believe that Nnamdi Kanu’s Igbo identity has influenced the way he is being treated. The world is watching to see whether Nigeria will uphold justice and fairness,” he stated.
He further urged prominent Igbo political leaders and opinion moulders to speak out against perceived injustices rather than maintaining silence. According to him, “silence in the face of injustice only determines our collective fate as a people.”
Kanu warned that the outcome of the case, coming nearly three decades after the execution of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders, will be a defining moment for Nigeria’s commitment to human rights and democratic values.
Meanwhile, at Thursday’s court sitting, Justice Omotosho ruled that the IPOB leader must open his defence before judgment could be delivered. The decision reportedly left many of Kanu’s supporters disappointed, as they had hoped he would regain his freedom after several years in detention.
An eyewitness described how Kanu, who had arrived in court smiling, later appeared visibly displeased after the ruling. The IPOB leader insisted he would not open his defence, arguing that the grounds for doing so were “unknown to Nigerian law.”
The court subsequently adjourned the matter to November 20, when final judgment is expected to be delivered.
