Court Grants Sowore, Defence Lawyer, 11 Others Bail
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has given the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, till Monday October 27 to open his defence in the terrorism charges against him.

The judge fixed the new date on Friday following the complaint by Kanu that his former lawyers, led by a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF), Kanu Agabi (SAN), had not released his case file to him to study.

When the matter was called, Adegboyeaga Awomolo (SAN) announced appearance for the Federal Government and that the business of the day was for Kanu to kick start his defence as earlier ordered by court. However, no lawyer appeared for Kanu.

Kanu, who entered the dock with a bundle of documents, announced appearance for himself and thereafter informed the judge that his legal team, which he (Kanu) sacked on October 23, 2025, had not released the case file to him.

He said he was constrained to ask for an adjournment to enable him to get the case file and study it to be able to prepare fully for his defence.

Besides, he said he intends to call 23 witnesses from within and outside the country, urging the court to issue an order to the Department of the State Services (DSS) to permit the foreign witnesses to access him.

He also asked the judge to order the DSS to allow his lawyers to have access to him on non-working days, which was promptly granted.

At this point, counsel to the Federal Government said the complaint of Kanu was strange because he was in the courtroom for hours with his former lawyers.

Awomolo also reminded the judge of the six days issued to Kanu to open and close defence, urging the court to strictly adhere to the order.

Justice Omotosho, in a brief response, said he was mindful of granting adjournment because of Kanu’s claim of not having the case file.

The judge said that the allegation that Kanu Agabi did not release the case file was strange and unbelievable but that he would oblige the defendant an adjournment.

He, however, warned against undue delay, especially wastage of the judicial time of the court, adding that several other cases have suffered delay because of Kanu’s matter.

The judge subsequently fixed Monday, October 27, for the defendant to open his defence.

Meanwhile, a Magistrate’s Court in Kuje, Abuja, on Friday granted bail to publisher and activist, Omoyele Sowore; a member of the legal team representing Kanu in court, Aloy Ejimakor; the IPOB leader’s brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu; and 10 others, in the sum of ₦500,000, with two sureties in like sum.

All 13 defendants were arrested and arraigned before the court for allegedly inciting public disturbance and breach of peace in connection with the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest held on Monday, October 20, in Abuja.

While Ejimakor, Emmanuel and the other 10 defendants were arrested during the protest and later remanded at the Kuje Correctional facility, Sowore was apprehended on October 23 at the premises of the Federal High Court in Abuja after attending Kanu’s terrorism trial to show solidarity.

Sowore was among the organisers of the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest that rocked Abuja and other parts of the country last Monday.

In the course of the protest, 12 persons, including Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel, and one of his lawyers, Ejimakor, were arrested and subsequently remanded at the Kuje prison.

In the First Information Report (FIR) it filed before a Chief Magistrate Court at Kuje, the police alleged that the defendants, during the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest, which it said was held in disobedience to a court order, chanted war songs while disrupting the free flow of traffic.

The police further alleged that they engaged in criminal conspiracy, incited disturbance and disturbed public peace, offences punishable under sections 152, 114 and 113 of the Penal Code Law.

The charge against them read: “That on the 20th day of October, 2025, you (1) Barrister Aloy Ejimakor (2) Prince Emmanuel Kanu (3) Joshua Emmanuel (4) Bishop Wilson Anyalewechi (5). Barrister Okere Kingdom Nnamdi (6) Clinton Chimeneze (7) Gabriel Joshua (8) Isiaka Husseini, (9) Onyekachi Ferdinand (10) Amadi Prince (11) Edison Ojisom and (12) Godwill Obiama, all male adults of FCT Abuja were arrested by a team of security agents in different locations within FCT while involving yourselves in inciting disturbance, and breach of public peace in disobedience to a court order, denying other citizens the freedom of movement, disrupting free flow of traffic while chanting war songs and requesting for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, who is undergoing lawful trial at the Federal High Court in a manner that threatens national security. You thereby committed the above-mentioned offences.”