 |
| Nnamdi Kanu |
There was drama in the court on Tuesday during the terrorism trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Kanu, facing seven charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja, accused the judge, Justice Binta Nyako, of being biased and asked her to step down from the case.
Kanu claimed that Justice Nyako ignored a ruling from the Supreme Court and said he no longer trusted her to handle his case fairly. In response, Justice Nyako announced that she would recuse herself and send the case file to the Chief Judge to assign it to another judge.
Kanu's lawyer, Alloy Ejimakor, tried to intervene, but Kanu angrily told him to sit down, saying, "I told you to sit down!" Kanu then addressed the judge directly, stating, "My Lord, I have no confidence in this court anymore. You didn’t follow the Supreme Court’s ruling, and I ask you to recuse yourself."
The prosecution lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), disagreed with Kanu's claims, urging the judge to continue with the trial. However, Kanu insisted, holding up a document he said was the Supreme Court's ruling, which questioned the impartiality of the trial court.
In the end, Justice Nyako officially stepped down, saying, "I hereby recuse myself and remit the case file back to the Chief Judge."
Nnamdi Kanu was first arrested in 2015 after returning from the UK. He was granted bail in 2017 on health grounds but fled the country after a military raid on his home. He was re-arrested in Kenya in 2021 and has since been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). His requests for bail have repeatedly been denied by Justice Nyako.
0 Comments