Nnamdi Kanu Writes Judiciary For Immediate Hearing Of His Appeal Against Life Sentence
Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has written to the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the President of the Court of Appeal, to grant the immediate listing and hearing of his pending cases against the life sentence passed on him by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The demand was disclosed on Tuesday by the Kanu’s family in a statement signed by Prince Emmanuel Kanu, who accused the Nigerian government of showing no willingness to participate in the proceedings while Kanu remains in prison.
On November 20, 2025, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of seven terrorism-related counts
However, in the recent petition against the sentence, the family said Kanu it was not asking the courts to rule in his favour but simply wants the cases listed, heard and determined according to law.
“List the cases. Hear them. Decide on them,” the family demanded.
According to Kanu’s family, the situation raises questions about the contrasting speed with which the Judiciary acted in October 2022 when the Nigerian government sought to prevent Kanu from regaining his freedom.
The family recalled that on October 13, 2022, the Court of Appeal discharged Kanu and quashed the criminal charges against him.
However, the Nigerian government subsequently obtained a stay of execution on October 28, 2022, preventing Kanu from enjoying the benefit of the judgement.
The family described the 14-day period between the Court of Appeal judgement and the stay of execution as evidence of the urgency with which the judicial machinery moved when the government sought to restrain Kanu’s liberty.
The family questioned why similar urgency had not been demonstrated now that Kanu was asking the courts to determine the legality of his continued detention.
“Fourteen days were enough for a differently constituted panel of a functus officio Court of Appeal to deploy civil procedure against an acquittal-equivalent discharge,” the family said.
“Months cannot now be acceptable merely to list proceedings in which that same man’s liberty is at stake.”
Kanu’s family further argued that the civil stay granted in October 2022 could not legally revive criminal charges that had already been quashed.
“A civil stay is not a criminal charge. A civil stay is not a remand warrant. A civil stay does not revive quashed criminal counts,” the family said.
Kanu’s latest legal challenge before the Supreme Court commenced on November 7, 2025, with the family saying the case challenges the legality of the Supreme Court’s December 15, 2023 remittal judgement.
The Nigerian government was served with the proceedings, but the family alleged that more than nine months later, the government had yet to file a substantive response and the case had not been listed for hearing.
Kanu is also challenging his November 20, 2025 conviction and life imprisonment sentence before the Court of Appeal.
According to the family, his Appellant’s Brief was filed on June 5, 2026 and served on the Federal Government, but the prescribed period for the government to file its Respondent’s Brief has expired without a filing.
The appeal, the family said, has also not been listed for hearing, describing the delay as unacceptable, particularly because the cases directly concern Kanu’s liberty.
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not asking the Chief Justice of Nigeria or the President of the Court of Appeal to decide either case in his favour,” the family said.
“He is asking that the cases be placed before the appropriate panels and heard. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
The family challenged the Nigerian government to appear before the courts if it believes the remittal judgement and Kanu’s conviction and life sentence are lawful.
“If the Federal Government believes the Supreme Court remittal was lawful, let it appear and defend it,” the family said.
“If it believes the conviction and life sentence are lawful, let it file its papers and defend them. But silence and delay cannot become substitutes for adjudication.”
Kanu’s family also announced plans to formally notify the United States Congress, the Israeli Knesset and the International Bar Association about what it described as an “unacceptable delay.”
The family said court records and the chronology of the proceedings would be presented to the international bodies.
It said it would ask them to consider why Nigeria’s appellate courts were able to act within 14 days when the Nigerian government sought to prevent Kanu’s release but had allegedly failed to show comparable urgency when Kanu sought judicial determination of his continued detention and life sentence.
The family called on the Supreme Court to immediately list and hear Kanu’s case challenging the December 15, 2023 remittal judgement.
Kanu’s family also urged the Court of Appeal to list and hear his appeal against his conviction and life sentence without further delay.
The family further called on the Federal Government to appear before the courts and defend the legal basis for Kanu’s continued detention.
“We ask for no favour. We ask for no predetermined judgement,” the family said.
“We ask only that liberty receive at least the same judicial urgency previously given to its restraint.”
The family directly challenged the Judiciary, “Fourteen days to act against his freedom. Months of delay when he seeks freedom. Explain the difference.”
