Nnamdi Kanu Demands Transfer of His Trial Amid Concerns Over Judge’s Recusal
Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has called for his ongoing trial to be moved to a federal high court in the southeastern region of Nigeria if no judge in Abuja is willing to take over his case. The request follows a contentious issue with the presiding judge, Justice Binta Nyako, who recused herself from the case in September.
In a bold move on September 24, Justice Nyako stepped down from Kanu’s trial after he directly informed her that he had lost confidence in her ability to fairly preside over the case. Following her recusal, the case file was sent back to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, John Tsoho. However, Tsoho returned the file to Nyako, arguing that Kanu’s formal application to request the judge’s removal must be submitted through a motion on notice.
Kanu has remained steadfast in his refusal to stand trial before Nyako, stressing that the court would be violating its order if the case were to proceed under her leadership.
A statement issued on Wednesday by Kanu’s legal counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, underscored the gravity of the situation. “Onyendu has instructed the legal team to ensure that Justice Nyako does not continue to preside over the case,” Ejimakor confirmed. He also emphasized that if the trial continued with Nyako, it would amount to disobedience of the order she issued when she recused herself in September.
The legal team has now called for the case to be reassigned to another judge, and should no judge in Abuja be willing to take it on, they are urging for the trial to be transferred to any federal high court within Nigeria’s southeastern region, which encompasses areas where the alleged offences occurred. Possible locations for the transfer include Umuahia, Awka, Enugu, Asaba, and Port Harcourt.
