By Camillus Eboh
ABUJA (Reuters) -A Nigerian court warned separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu that he risks losing his right to defend himself against terrorism charges if he does not present a defence by Wednesday in a trial that has become a lightning rod for unrest in the southeast.
The court’s warning on Tuesday signals a turning point in the trial that has now stretched over a decade. His refusal to mount a defence risks shutting down his case, potentially accelerating a verdict.
Kanu, who leads the banned Indigenous People of Biafra, is facing a seven-count terrorism charge stemming from his campaign for the secession of southeastern Nigeria. He denies wrongdoing.
His arrest, extraordinary rendition from Kenya in 2021, and prolonged detention have deepened regional tensions and rekindled separatist sentiments among the predominantly Igbo people of the region.
An attempt by the region to secede as the Republic of Biafra in 1967 triggered a three-year civil war that killed more than 1 million people.
Federal High Court Judge James Omotosho gave the warning after Kanu refused for a fourth time to proceed with his defence, having dismissed his legal team in open court. The judge said the court would foreclose Kanu’s defence if he failed to act within the one-day grace period.
In court, Kanu announced he would represent himself and challenged the validity of the charges.
The judge attempted to persuade Kanu to enter a defence, but he declined. The case was adjourned until Wednesday.
(Reporting by Camillus Eboh; Writing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo;Editing by Alison Williams)
