Nnamdi Kanu: Ohanaeze Youth Council Raises Alarm Over November 20 Judgment

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The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has voiced serious concern over the forthcoming November 20, 2025 judgment in the trial of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, warning that the process appears tainted by legal and constitutional irregularities.

In a statement issued on Monday and signed by its National President, Igboayaka Igboayaka, and National Publicity Secretary, Ukpabi Michael Authority, the OYC expressed worry that Kanu’s trial is built on what it described as an unlawful rendition and a repealed law.

The youth group recalled that Kanu was illegally extradited from Kenya to Nigeria in June 2021, in violation of international law and Nigeria’s constitutional provisions.

It noted that the subsequent charges against him were filed under the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2020, which has since been repealed and replaced by the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

“Any trial founded upon an unlawful arrest or extraordinary rendition offends both international law and the Nigerian Constitution (Section 36 of the 1999 CFRN, as amended),” the group said.

The statement further stressed that Nigeria, being a signatory to global treaties such as the United Nations Charter, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is bound to respect due process and human rights standards.

“It is disturbing that the charges against Kanu appear to hinge on repealed provisions of the Terrorism Prevention Act (Cap. T23, LFN 2020). By settled judicial principle, no citizen can be tried or convicted under a repealed law, as affirmed in FRN v. Ifegwu (2003) 15 NWLR (Pt. 842) 113,” OYC maintained.

The organization warned that convicting Kanu under such circumstances would not only be illegal and defective but could also fuel perceptions of ethnic targeting against the Igbo and expose Nigeria to international embarrassment and possible sanctions.

Calling for caution, the youth body appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria to ensure that justice is not sacrificed on the altar of politics or ethnic bias.

“Nnamdi Kanu’s trial must not become a political tool for tribal suppression or victimization. It should serve as a platform for truth, justice, and national reconciliation,” the statement added.

The OYC concluded by urging the judiciary to uphold the rule of law and deliver a judgment that reflects fairness, equity, and respect for constitutional guarantees.