Leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has lost his long-standing attempt to halt his terrorism trial after a court–appointed medical panel under the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) declared him fit to stand trial, effectively clearing the path for proceedings to resume at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The medical panel, constituted on the order of Justice Binta Nyako to independently assess Kanu’s health, submitted its report on October 13, 2025, confirming that the IPOB leader’s ailment “is not life-threatening.” The finding was read in open court, with both prosecution and defense teams raising no objections. Justice Nyako subsequently accepted the report and ruled that the trial, previously stalled for months over health concerns, would continue.
Kanu’s lawyers had repeatedly argued that he was too ill to stand trial, citing ear and heart complications and alleging that the Department of State Services (DSS) denied him proper medical care. They had asked the court to either grant him bail on medical grounds or suspend proceedings until his health improved.
That argument has now collapsed under the weight of the NMA panel’s expert opinion. According to the court record, the doctors found that while Kanu required ongoing medical attention, his condition does not impair his ability to participate in court proceedings.
The ruling marks a significant setback for Kanu’s defense, which had used his health condition as a central argument in its strategy to delay or suspend the terrorism trial. With the report accepted, the court has ordered full resumption of the case, removing what observers describe as the last procedural obstacle in a trial that has attracted national and international attention.
Legal analysts say the NMA report has strengthened the prosecution’s position, reinforcing confidence in the judicial process and demonstrating the court’s reliance on neutral, professional bodies for sensitive determinations. It also underscores the judiciary’s stance that Kanu’s case should proceed on its merits rather than be held up by procedural or medical disputes.
Kanu, who has been in DSS custody since his re-arrest in 2021, faces charges bordering on terrorism, treasonable felony, and incitement over his separatist activities and alleged calls for violence in the South-East.
With the NMA confirmation now on record, the court is expected to resume substantive hearings in the coming days — a move that could shape the next chapter in one of Nigeria’s most politically charged trials in recent history.
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