The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has requested the transfer of his trial to the Southeast region if no judge at the Federal High Court in Abuja is willing to preside over his case, aside from Justice Binta Nyako.
This demand was revealed in a statement on Wednesday by his lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, following a routine meeting with Kanu’s legal team at the Department of State Services (DSS) facility in Abuja.
The move comes after Justice Nyako, on September 24, 2024, recused herself from the case, citing Kanu’s lack of confidence in her ability to handle the trial. However, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, later referred the case back to Justice Nyako for continuation.
Kanu has remained steadfast in opposing Justice Nyako’s involvement, arguing that her resumption of the case after recusing herself undermines judicial integrity.
In the statement, Ejimakor noted that Kanu has directed his legal team to ensure Justice Nyako is not allowed to preside over his trial.
“The routine visitation to Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu continues unabated, as the legal team just concluded a crucial visitation today,” the statement read. “The central issue arising at today’s visitation is the upcoming court date for the continuation of MNK’s case.
“Onyendu instructed the legal team to take certain prompt steps to ensure that his case is not handled by the same Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako, who had withdrawn from the case by virtue of the order of recusal entered on 24th September 2024.
“The point was stressed that should the case still lie with Justice Murtala-Nyako, it would mean that the same court is disobeying an order that it made.”
Kanu’s legal team has emphasized the need for the case to be reassigned to a new judge. They also suggested relocating the trial to any Federal High Court in the Southeast, where the alleged offenses were said to have occurred.
“If no other judge in Abuja is willing to handle the case, the Chief Judge is free to transfer the case to Umuahia, Awka, Enugu, Asaba, Port Harcourt, or any other Federal High Court within the former Eastern Nigeria, where the alleged offenses were said to have occurred or had their impact,” the statement concluded.
