Nnamdi Kanu’s case has taken a new turn as the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice John Tsoho, finally reassigned the case to another judge after several requests for Justice Binta Nyako to recuse herself from the seven-count terrorism charge brought against him by the Federal Government.
Kanu’s lead counsel, Mr. Aloy Ejimakor made this known in a statement he issued on Saturday in Abuja.
Persecondnews had reported that while Justice Nyako recused herself from the trial and transferred the case file back to the Chief Judge for reassignment, it was surprisingly reassigned back to her.
Kanu, dissatisfied with the development, sought intervention through his legal team, wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, on February 20, 2025.
According to the statement by Ejimakor, Kanu’s legal team received two separate letters concerning his case on Friday, March 7.
One letter was authored by the Chief Justice of Nigeria while the other came from the Chief Judge.
The statement reads: “Yesterday, before the legal team conducted our routine visitation to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, we received two separate official letters regarding his case. The letters are momentous and somewhat pyrrhic.
“One letter was from the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, responding to a recent letter we had written to her, seeking her prompt administrative intervention (as the administrative head of the Nigerian judiciary) on the matter of a proper and lawful reassignment of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case, following the recusal of the judge that was conducting it.
“The other letter was from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, informing us that the case has been reassigned to another judge of the Federal High Court.”
Ejimakor said that upon receiving the letters, Kanu directed his legal team to express his heartfelt gratitude to the Chief Justice of Nigeria for her wise administrative decision and prompt response to their request.
The statement added: “He also expressed his profound appreciation 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.
“To be clear, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has always been ready to stand trial because he is firmly convinced of his innocence. However, the perverse events of the past six months (from September 2024, when the recusal happened) posed significant dangers to his constitutional rights, particularly his right to a fair and speedy hearing.
“It was in light of this that we resorted to taking extraordinary measures to ensure that his case is properly reassigned and conducted by the law.
“Now that the authorities have taken the initial steps to uphold the law, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his legal team will take stock and focus on zealous preparation for his defence.”
Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been in detention since he was rearrested in Kenya and subjected to extraordinary rendition back to Nigeria on June 27, 2021.
He was allegedly arrested by Kenyan security operatives in collaboration with Nigerian authorities.
He has since been detained by the Department of State Services (DSS), Abuja.
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