The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has called for his case to be transferred to the South-East if no judge at the Federal High Court in Abuja is willing to preside over it apart from Justice Binta Nyako.
Kanu’s request was conveyed in a statement on Wednesday by his lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, following a routine meeting with his legal team at the Department of State Services facility in Abuja.
This development comes after Justice Nyako, on September 24, 2024, recused herself from handling Kanu’s case, citing the IPOB leader’s lack of confidence in her handling of the trial.
The case was subsequently referred to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, who later returned it to Justice Nyako for continuation.
Kanu has consistently opposed Justice Nyako’s involvement in the trial, insisting that her resumption of the case after recusing herself undermines judicial integrity.
In his statement, Ejimakor disclosed that Kanu had instructed his legal team to prevent Justice Nyako from presiding over his trial.
The statement read, “The routine visitation to Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu continues unabated, as the legal team just concluded a crucial visitation today.
“The central issue arising at today’s visitation is the upcoming court date for the continuation of MNK’s case.
“Due to its constitutional implications, 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to take certain prompt steps to ensure that his case is not handled by the same Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako, who had withdrawn from the case by virtue of the order of recusal entered on 24th September 2024.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 emphasized the importance of assigning a new judge to the case and suggested that, if necessary, the trial be moved to any Federal High Court within the South East, 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 added
