On Tuesday, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, called on Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja to recuse herself from his ongoing trial.
During the resumed hearing of the seven-count terrorism charge brought against him by the Federal Government, Kanu interrupted his lawyer, Alloy Ejimakor, who was advocating for the trial’s suspension due to inadequate preparation time. Kanu, from the dock, instructed Ejimakor to sit down and addressed the court directly.
“My lord, I have no confidence in this court anymore and I ask you to recuse yourself because you did not abide by the decision of the Supreme Court,” Kanu declared. He criticized the court for not following the Supreme Court’s directives, stating that such actions compromised the court’s impartiality.
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The prosecution, represented by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Adegboyega Awomolo, urged the court to disregard Kanu’s request, arguing that the Supreme Court had directed the trial to proceed. However, Kanu persisted, citing a portion of the Supreme Court’s judgement that questioned the trial court’s impartiality.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the situation, Justice Nyako announced her decision to recuse herself from the case, remitting the case file back to the Chief Judge for reassignment.
The court session also included a prior approval of the Federal Government’s request to shield the identities of witnesses set to testify in the trial.
Kanu’s legal saga dates back to his initial arrest in Lagos on October 14, 2015, after returning from the United Kingdom. He was granted bail on health grounds in 2017 but fled the country during an operation at his home by security forces. Kanu was re-arrested in Kenya in June 2021 and subsequently brought back to Nigeria. His case has seen numerous legal developments, including the striking out of eight out of 15 charges against him and a Court of Appeal ruling for his release, which was later challenged by the Federal Government at the Supreme Court.
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The Supreme Court, on December 15, 2023, overturned the Court of Appeal’s decision, allowing the Federal Government to proceed with the remaining seven charges against Kanu.
