The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Justice John Tsoho, has rejected the request for recusal made by Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, who sought to have his case reassigned to another judge for trial.
During the hearing on September 24 concerning the seven-count terrorism charges filed against him by the Federal Government, Kanu expressed a loss of confidence in the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, and requested her recusal.
Justice Nyako agreed to the request and stated that she would send Kanu’s case file back to the Chief Judge for reassignment.
However, Justice Tsoho returned Kanu’s case file to Justice Nyako, noting that two other judges had previously recused themselves from the case.
He explained that Kanu’s case had been reassigned to Justice Nyako due to its prolonged nature, dating back to 2015, and emphasized that she had been handling the case for most of that time; therefore, she was deemed the most suitable judge to see it through to conclusion.
Justice Tsoho further stated that if Kanu insists on recusing Justice Nyako at the next hearing, he must file a written motion on notice, along with an affidavit detailing the grounds for his request.
“Nnamdi Kanu must also serve this on the prosecution team and appear before Justice Nyako for her review and determination, after which she can make her decision,” he said.
Kanu’s counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, confirmed the development, adding that Kanu’s team is awaiting an official notice from the court and a new hearing date.
