Nnamdi Kanu’s threats pose real danger to Nigeria’s unity – FG

By Kunle Sanni –

The federal government has argued that statements made by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), are not empty boasts but direct threats to Nigeria’s unity and public safety.

At a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday, government counsel Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, urged Justice James Omotosho to dismiss Kanu’s no-case submission and compel him to open his defence in the ongoing terrorism trial.

Citing a Biafra Radio broadcast, Awomolo told the court that Kanu had declared his intention to disintegrate Nigeria and reaffirmed his leadership of the outlawed IPOB. He said the speech triggered unrest in several parts of the country and instilled fear in citizens.

“The defendant boasted that the world would come to a standstill. He identified himself as the leader of IPOB, knowing it had been proscribed,” Awomolo said.

He further alleged that Kanu’s broadcast incited violence that led to the deaths of over 170 security personnel, claiming that Kanu instructed his followers to target police officers and their families.

“The law does not tolerate statements that instill perpetual fear or aim to dismantle the nation. These were not just words—they had real consequences,” he added.

Awomolo dismissed the no-case submission as “misplaced and misconceived,” maintaining that the evidence supports the terrorism charges.

However, defence counsel Kanu Agabi, SAN, argued that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case. He said none of the five DSS officers who testified claimed to have been incited by Kanu or witnessed violence directly linked to him. Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter to October 10 for ruling.