The legal team representing Nnamdi Kanu, the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has formally indicated plans to file a no-case submission following the Federal Government\'s decision to close its case in the terrorism trial ongoing at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

This development came after the prosecution presented its fifth and final witness, a Department of State Services (DSS) operative identified in court as Mr. EEE. The witness testified on activities related to the 2020–2021 EndSARS protests but admitted under cross-examination that he had no direct knowledge of Kanu’s alleged crimes.

According to Mr. EEE, though he led a security team to gather intelligence in Nigeria’s southern region during the EndSARS protests, he neither met Mr. Kanu nor investigated any offence directly linked to him. He said the findings included the deaths of 128 police officers, 37 army personnel, and 10 DSS operatives, alongside the destruction of 164 police stations and 19 INEC facilities.

However, during questioning by Kanu’s lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), the DSS officer admitted that he had no information connecting IPOB to incidents in cities such as Lagos, Ibadan, or Ile-Ife. He also acknowledged ignorance of the findings of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry, which did not implicate IPOB in the EndSARS violence.

Following the conclusion of the cross-examination, federal prosecutors informed the court that they were satisfied with the evidence presented and would be closing their case. In response, the defence notified the court of its intention to submit a no-case submission — a legal move asking the judge to dismiss the charges without requiring the defence to present evidence.

Presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho, granted the defence team 14 days from June 24 to file the no-case submission. The prosecution was also given 14 days to respond. The matter has been adjourned to July 18, 2025, for the adoption of written addresses by both parties.

This stage marks a critical point in the high-profile trial that has drawn both national and international attention, as the court must now decide whether the government’s evidence is strong enough to warrant the continuation of proceedings against the IPOB leader.

Stay with Gist Reports for more updates as the trial progresses.