Court Transfers Nnamdi Kanu’s Case To Another Judge
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice John Tsoho, has transferred the case of Indigenous People of Biafra leader, Nnamdi Kanu, to a different judge.
Kanu’s lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, confirmed this development in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja.
Kanu had previously called for Justice Binta Nyako to step down from his trial, citing concerns over fairness.
Although she initially recused herself and returned the case file to the Chief Judge for reassignment, it was later handed back to her, a decision Kanu strongly opposed.
On February 20, his legal team appealed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, urging her to intervene.
Ejimakor revealed that on March 7, the legal team received two official letters regarding Kanu’s case.
“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.
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“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 added that Kanu directed his legal team to publicly appreciate the Chief Justice for her swift response and sound judgment on the matter.
“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,” Ejimakor stated.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
