The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, has reassigned the case of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to a new judge.
Kanu’s lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, confirmed this development in a statement on Saturday, emphasizing that Kanu remains ready to stand trial, as he is convinced of his innocence.
According to Ejimakor, the legal team received two significant letters before their routine visitation to Kanu. One was from the Chief Justice of Nigeria in response to a letter from Kanu’s legal team seeking administrative intervention following the recusal of the previous judge handling the case. The second letter, from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, officially informed them that the case had been reassigned.
Following these developments, Kanu instructed his legal team to publicly express his gratitude to the Chief Justice of Nigeria for her swift response and sound administrative judgment. He also extended his appreciation to members of the public who supported the demand for his case to be reassigned, ensuring due process was followed.
Ejimakor reiterated that Kanu has always been prepared to stand trial but noted that the past six months—since the previous judge recused in September 2024—posed serious threats to his constitutional right to a fair and speedy hearing.
“These developments compelled us to take extraordinary measures to ensure that the case is properly reassigned and conducted in accordance with the law,” Ejimakor stated.
With the reassignment now confirmed, Kanu’s legal team will focus on preparing his defense as the case proceeds under the new judge.
