The family of detained Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, leader Nnamdi Kanu has called for the immediate listing of his appeal against his conviction and also asked the National Judicial Council, NJC, to examine the conduct of Justice James Omotosho during the trial.
The demand was contained in a statement issued by Prince Emmanuel Kanu on behalf of the Okwu-Kanu family of Umuahia, Abia State.
The family alleged that Kanu was denied a fair hearing during the proceedings before the Federal High Court and raised questions about the legal basis of the conviction.
The family’s demand comes amid concerns over the delay in hearing Kanu’s appeal at the Court of Appeal. IPOB has previously threatened to support a boycott of the 2027 general elections in the South-East if the appeal is not listed for hearing. The group and Kanu’s lawyers have also questioned the delay in the Federal Government’s response to the appeal.
In its appeal-related demands, the family wants the Court of Appeal to determine the legal questions surrounding Kanu’s conviction, including the law under which he was convicted and the jurisdiction of the trial court.
The Okwu-Kanu family argued that the court should examine whether the legislation relied upon in the case was legally applicable at the time of Kanu’s conviction. It raised questions about the transition from the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011, as amended in 2013, to the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022.
The family also referred to Section 36(12) of the Nigerian Constitution, which provides that a person cannot be convicted of a criminal offence unless the offence is defined and its punishment is prescribed by a written law.
It therefore wants the appellate court to establish which law was in force when Kanu was convicted on November 20, 2025 and whether the relevant offences and penalties were properly covered by that law.
Another issue raised by the family concerns the transitional provisions of the 2022 terrorism law. It questioned whether the proceedings against Kanu were properly transferred from the earlier legislation to the 2022 law and whether the relevant charges, pleas and provisions were handled in line with the applicable legislation.
The family also questioned the legal effect of earlier court decisions in Kanu’s case, including the Court of Appeal’s 2022 decision concerning some of the counts and the subsequent Supreme Court proceedings that allowed the case to continue.
It further alleged that Kanu was not given an opportunity to make his final address before judgment and was not allowed to make the required representation before sentencing. The family said these issues raised concerns about whether the trial met the constitutional requirement for a fair hearing.
The Okwu-Kanu family therefore asked the NJC to review Justice Omotosho’s conduct based on the court record, particularly in relation to the legal provisions applied during the trial and the constitutional safeguards it said were required.
The family also wants the Court of Appeal to list and hear Kanu’s appeal without further delay and determine the legal and constitutional questions raised by the defence.
Kanu was convicted by Justice Omotosho in November 2025 on seven terrorism-related counts. The certified judgment records that the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered the judgment on November 20, 2025.
The family maintains that the questions it has raised should be resolved by the appellate court and that the conviction should be reviewed in light of the applicable law and constitutional requirements.