The Federal High Court in Abuja is growing tired of delays in the terrorism trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Justice James Kolawole Omotosho has told Kanu’s legal team to get their act together and stop asking for many adjournments.

The judge explained that he decided to speed up the hearing after seeing the case has been going on since 2015 — that’s ten years without much progress. During a recent court session, just as the defense was about to question a key witness from the Federal Government, Kanu’s lawyer asked for a delay.

However, the government’s lawyer opposed the request, saying there was no good reason to delay because the witness was already present in court. Kanu’s lawyer said they needed more time to present some video evidence. But the government lawyer reminded the court that the defense had five days’ notice to prepare for this session.

Justice Omotosho agreed to a short delay but warned that the trial cannot keep dragging on. He set a firm date — May 22, 2025 — for the questioning of the government witness to be finished. The judge also warned that if the defense tries to waste time, he will stop the questioning immediately.

On the same day, the court accepted three official judgments from different courts that were said to support Kanu’s case as evidence.

This strong warning from the judge shows the court’s frustration with long delays in this important trial. Justice Omotosho is determined to bring the case to a conclusion without further excuses.