Nnamdi Kanu’s alleged terrorism case referred to another judge.
The continuing terrorist trial against Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been moved to another judge.
Following months of heavy lobbying, Chief Judge John Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the reassignment.
Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu’s special counsel, released this information in a statement on Saturday.
Justice Binta Nyako presided over the trial of the IPOB leader.
However, during the court hearing on September 24, 2024, Kanu sought that Nyako withdraw herself from presiding over the case, accusing her of bias.
The statement added, “We received two distinct official letters relating to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case yesterday, prior to the legal team’s customary visitation.
“The letters are significant and somewhat pyrrhic.” The Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria responded to our request for prompt administrative intervention in reassigning Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case after the recusal of the original judge.
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court informed us that the case had been reassigned.
Following these recent developments, Kanu directed the legal team to publicly express his heartfelt gratitude to the Chief Justice of Nigeria for her “sound administrative discretions and the dispatch with which she responded to our request.”
His legal team also expressed heartfelt gratitude to members of the general public who publicly supported “our righteous demands that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case be reassigned to another judge, as the law demands.”
The statement went on, “To be sure, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has always been prepared to face trial because he is adamantly persuaded of his innocence.
The circumstances of the preceding six months, beginning with the recusal in September 2024, have jeopardised his fundamental rights, including the right to a fair and timely hearing. We took special measures to reassign and conduct his case in accordance with the law according to recent developments.
Now that the authorities have started the legal procedure, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his legal team will examine the circumstances and meticulously prepare his defence.”