The Federal High Court in Abuja has again adjourned the trial of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, to October 16, 2025, pending a medical assessment report from the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) on his health condition.
Kanu’s Special Counsel, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, confirmed the adjournment to SaharaReporters, explaining that the court wants the NMA’s report to determine whether Kanu is fit to continue standing trial. “The Court wants the Nigerian Medical Association to submit a report on whether Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is still fit to stand trial,” Ejimakor said.
Kanu appeared before the Federal High Court on Wednesday in continuation of his long-running trial on charges related to terrorism. His case has continued to attract both local and international attention since his re-arrest and controversial rendition from Kenya in 2021.
The IPOB leader, first arrested in 2015 on charges of treasonable felony, was granted bail in 2017 but fled Nigeria following a military operation at his Abia residence. He was later brought back under circumstances described by his legal team as “extraordinary rendition.”
Although several of the charges against him were struck out by the Court of Appeal in 2022, the Supreme Court reversed that decision in December 2023, allowing the Federal High Court to resume trial.
Kanu’s lawyers have consistently raised concerns over his deteriorating health, restricted access to counsel, and the government’s refusal to obey court orders regarding his bail and detention conditions.
Just a day before the latest hearing, IPOB rejected a purported NMA medical report on Kanu’s health, alleging it was “invalid, inadmissible, and ethically compromised.”
In a statement signed by Barrister Chukwuma Benson Ihejiofor, the group accused the NMA of colluding with the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and the Department of State Services (DSS) to manipulate evidence, insisting that the report was produced before the court’s order authorising an independent medical evaluation.
The adjournment extends Kanu’s prolonged detention, as both his supporters and rights groups continue to demand his unconditional release and adherence to due process in the ongoing case.
