Finally, Nnamdi Kanu’s case reassigned to another judge

• Kanu on many occasions has called on justice Binta Nyako, the presiding judge in the case, to rescuse herself from his trial as he did not trust her to adjudicate on the matter fairly and impartially

The protracted terrorism trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, will now be presided over by a new judge.

This is sequel to the reassignment of the case by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho to another judge.

Recall that Kanu on many occasions has called on justice Binta Nyako, the presiding judge in the case, to rescuse herself from his trial as he did not trust her to adjudicate on the matter fairly and impartially

In a statement on Saturday, Kanu’s lead Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, disclosed that the request of his client has now been granted.

Ejimakor disclosed that Kanu is ready to face his trial because he’s convinced of his innocence.

In the statement signed by Ejimakor, he said the case has now been reassigned to another judge of the Federal High Court, describing the development as momentous.

“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 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 gratitudes to the Chief Justice of Nigeria for her sound administrative discretions and the despatch with which she responded to our request.

“He also expressed his profound appreciations to members of the general public who publicly expressed their support to 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 fair and speedy hearing.

“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 hanker down to the zealous preparation of his defense.”