You’re interfering in Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s trial – IPOB accuses FG

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the Federal Government of interfering with the judiciary in the ongoing trial of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The group criticized recent comments by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, which linked IPOB to attacks on police stations and prisons.

In a statement signed by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emmanuel Powerful, in Abuja, IPOB called Ribadu’s remarks’ contemptuous and inflammatory.’

The group argued that the comments were inappropriate because the trial is still ongoing.

The statement read: “The NSA accused IPOB and ESN of crimes for which no competent court of law has found them guilty, including destruction of police stations and aiding prison breaks. This statement is not only manifestly sub judice, given the ongoing trial of our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, but it is also a brazen attempt to pervert the course of justice by intimidating the judiciary, particularly Justice Omotosho who is currently presiding over the case.”

IPOB also pointed out that on May 22, 2025, the government’s star witness, PW-BBB, admitted under cross-examination that the Department of State Services (DSS) reports directly to the National Security Adviser. The group expressed concern that this connection could influence the trial’s fairness.

The group called on the government to present any evidence against Kanu in court rather than making public statements.

IPOB said: “If the NSA or any other government official has any evidence against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, let them present it in court before Justice Omotosho. Grandstanding to rent-a-mouth journalists who are ignorant of basic legal decorum is not how justice is served. It is how tyranny is sustained.”

IPOB also urged the United Kingdom to address its concerns regarding Kanu’s rights as a British citizen. The group described the trial as a test of Nigeria’s commitment to the rule of law.

The statement added: “Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s trial is not just a national matter; it is a global litmus test for the rule of law, the right to self-determination, and the sanctity of the judiciary.

“We call on all civilised nations, human rights organisations, and conscientious legal minds to denounce Ribadu’s recklessness and demand an immediate halt to this charade of a trial. Justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done.”

IPOB warned that the government’s actions could harm Nigeria’s democracy and called for transparency and fairness in the judicial process.