Detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has raised fresh concerns about his continued detention, alleging that the Nigerian government intends to release him only when his health has deteriorated beyond recovery.
Kanu, who was arrested in Kenya in 2021 and extradited to Nigeria, made the statement on Monday after the Federal High Court in Abuja rescheduled his treasonable felony case. Initially slated for October 10, 2025, the court hearing has now been brought forward to September 26, 2025, under the directive of Justice James Omotosho.
According to Kanu and his legal team, the abrupt adjustment of the trial date is an attempt to frustrate their efforts to secure his release. His lawyers had earlier filed a no-case submission, arguing that the IPOB leader should be freed immediately on medical grounds and transferred to a facility capable of providing adequate healthcare.
Speaking in a video shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Kanu alleged that the authorities plan to release him only when he is “about to give up,” suggesting a deliberate strategy to weaken him before granting his freedom.
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“When they calculate that I am about to give up, they will now say go, so when I go outside I will die outside; that’s what they are trying to do,” Kanu said.
The IPOB leader’s comments have reignited debates over his prolonged detention, the Nigerian judicial system, and human rights concerns surrounding high-profile political cases.