Tension flared at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday as IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu fiercely objected to the court proceeding with judgment in his terrorism case.
The atmosphere became chaotic after the judge dismissed multiple applications submitted by Kanu, including his bid to file a final written address.
During the previous sitting, Justice James Omotosho had ruled that written addresses were unnecessary, stating that the court would rely solely on the arguments and evidence already before it.
Kanu strongly disagreed with the decision, insisting it deprived him of a fair chance to fully defend himself.
The situation worsened when the judge reminded him that he still had the option to challenge the ruling at the appellate court.
Kanu then erupted, shouting:
“You don’t know the law… Don’t touch me… God will punish you now and forever.”
His outburst brought proceedings to a halt, forcing security officers and the judge to attempt calming him efforts that ultimately failed. Kanu was eventually escorted out of the courtroom to restore normalcy.
The incident has once again sparked debate about courtroom decorum and the handling of major terrorism-related trials in Nigeria.