A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, his demand to reassign his terrorism charges case to a new judge, a statement by his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, has revealed.
Kanu had engaged in a long-drawn legal battle for Justice Binta Nyako to step down from overseeing the seven-count terrorism charge filed against him by the Federal Government.
Justice Nyako, who had earlier agreed to step down, was reassigned with the case, much to the angst of Kanu, whose legal team wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, for her intervention.
However, Ejimakor revealed that on Friday, March 7, the legal team received two official letters concerning Kanu’s case—one from the Chief Justice of Nigeria and another from the Chief Judge.
“Before our routine visit to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu yesterday, we received two important letters regarding his case. One was from the Chief Justice of Nigeria, responding to our recent letter seeking her immediate administrative intervention. The other was from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, confirming that the case has been reassigned to a different judge,” the statement read.
Following the receipt of these letters, Ejimakor noted that Kanu instructed his legal team to express their “sincere gratitude to the CJN for her wise decision and swift response to our request.”
“He also thanked the public for their support in pushing for the reassignment of Kanu’s case, as the law requires.”
Ejimakor clarified that Kanu has always been ready for trial, firmly believing in his innocence.
“However, the events of the last six months, particularly after Justice Nyako’s recusal in September 2024, had raised concerns about his constitutional rights, including his right to a fair and speedy trial. This led Kanu’s team to take extraordinary steps to ensure the case was reassigned and properly handled.
“Now that the authorities have taken the first steps to uphold the law, Kanu and his legal team will focus on preparing a strong defense,” Ejimakor concluded.
