Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has called for his trial to be moved to the South-East if no other judge at the Federal High Court in Abuja is willing to take on his case except Justice Binta Nyako.
The request was made in a statement issued by Kanu’s lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, following a routine meeting with his legal team at the Department of State Services (DSS) facility in Abuja.
The demand comes after Justice Nyako, on September 24, 2024, recused herself from Kanu’s trial, citing a lack of confidence in her ability to fairly handle the case.
The matter was then referred to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, who later returned the case to Justice Nyako for continuation.
Kanu has consistently rejected Justice Nyako’s involvement in the trial, arguing that her return undermines the integrity of the judicial process. In his statement, Ejimakor revealed that Kanu has instructed his legal team to prevent Nyako from presiding over the case.
“The routine visitation to Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu continues, with today’s meeting focusing on the upcoming court date for his case. Onyendu has instructed the legal team to take immediate action to ensure that his case is not handled by Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako, who withdrew from the case on September 24, 2024. He emphasized that if the case remains with Justice Nyako, it would indicate disobedience to the court’s own order,” the statement read.
Kanu’s legal team stressed the need for a new judge to take over the case and suggested that, if necessary, the trial be moved to any Federal High Court in the South-East, where the alleged offenses are said to have occurred.
“If no other judge in Abuja is willing to handle the case, the Chief Judge is free to transfer it to Umuahia, Awka, Enugu, Asaba, Port Harcourt, or any other Federal High Court in the former Eastern Nigeria, where the alleged offenses occurred or had an impact,” the statement concluded.
