FG has reassigned Nnamdi Kanu’s Terrorism case to a new judge.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Federal High Court Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho, has reassigned the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to a new judge.
Kanu, held in custody since his bail revocation in 2021, faces a seven-count treasonable felony charge filed by the Federal Government.
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Previously presiding over the case, Justice Binta Nyako indefinitely adjourned proceedings on February 10 after Kanu demanded her withdrawal, citing bias and a prior ruling recusing her.
Although the Chief Judge initially ruled for Nyako to continue, Kanu’s legal team, led by Alloy Ejimakor, confirmed on Saturday, March 8, that the case has now been transferred.
Ejimakor welcomed the decision, reaffirming Kanu’s readiness to prove his innocence, and commended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, for intervening swiftly.
“Yesterday (Friday) 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,” Ejimakor said.
“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.
“Consequent upon these latest developments, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu instructed the legal team to publicly convey his sincere gratitude to the Chief Justice of Nigeria for her sound administrative discretion and the despatch with which she responded to our request.
“He also expressed his profound appreciation to members of the general public who publicly expressed their support of our righteous demands that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case be reassigned to another judge, as the law demands.
“To be sure, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has always been ready to take his trial because he is firmly convinced of his innocence. But the perverse events of the past six months (from September 2024, when the recusal happened) posed portent dangers to his constitutional rights, particularly his right to a fair and speedy hearing,” he added.
“It was in view of these untoward developments that we were propelled to resort to taking extraordinary measures to ensure that his case is properly reassigned and conducted in accordance with the law.
“So, now that the first steps have been taken by the authorities to do the lawful thing, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his legal team shall take stock and hunker down to the zealous preparation of his defence.”
Ejimakor, however, declined to reveal the identity of the new judge assigned to the case.
Kanu was first arrested in Lagos on October 14, 2015, upon his return from the United Kingdom(UK).
After spending 18 months in detention, he was granted bail on health grounds by Justice Binta Nyako on April 25, 2017, and released three days later after meeting the bail conditions.
During his trial, Kanu fled the country following a military operation at his residence in Afara Ukwu Ibeku, Umuahia, Abia State, which resulted in the deaths of several of his followers.
He was re-arrested in Kenya on June 19, 2021, and brought back to Nigeria under controversial circumstances on June 27, 2021.
The trial court subsequently ordered his detention in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), where he has remained since June 29, 2021.
On April 8, 2022, the court dismissed eight of the 15 charges against him, citing a lack of merit.
Later, on October 13, 2022, the Abuja Court of Appeal ordered Kanu’s release and struck out the remaining charges.
The Federal Government challenged the ruling at the Supreme Court, securing a suspension of the appellate court’s decision while the appeal was pending.
On December 15, 2023, the Supreme Court overturned the lower court’s verdict, ruling that the IPOB leader must stand trial on the remaining seven charges.
