Legal consultants working with the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, have stated that the ongoing trial has become “too complicated for the judiciary to handle,” insisting that only a political resolution initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can bring the matter to an end. This comes as the trial judge threatened to foreclose the defense if Kanu failed to open his case.
Addressing journalists after Tuesday’s proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the consultants clarified that they now serve strictly as advisers to Kanu, who is representing himself in the matter. According to them, the issue has gone beyond legal argument and now rests squarely on executive decision.
The legal consultants working with the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, have once again insisted that his ongoing trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja, cannot continue because the charge against him is not founded on any existing Nigerian law. They argued that the matter has now clearly outgrown the judiciary and should be resolved politically by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
One of the senior consultants stated:
“This case has now run for almost ten years. It is clearly too complicated for the judiciary to resolve. We have consistently maintained that this is a political matter, not a legal one. The executive arm, which initiated the prosecution in the first place, has the power to end it. The President can simply direct the Attorney-General to withdraw the charges in line with Section 174 of the Constitution.”
He added that the prolonged nature of the case has given rise to growing public suspicion
During the Tuesday’s sitting, the court ordered Kanu to open his defence. However, his legal consultants argued that he cannot be required to defend himself against a charge based on a law that does not exist.
One of the lawyers explained:
“Our position is simple: Tell us the law under which he is being tried. The Constitution is clear — you cannot prosecute a citizen under a non-existent law. Section 36(12) says no Nigerian shall be convicted for an offence not defined in a written law. The Supreme Court itself has already stated that the provision being relied upon by the Federal Government is not part of Nigerian law.”
According to them, the prosecution relies on a portion of the Criminal Code that was never enacted by the National Assembly, which makes the charge defective from the foundation.
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