PeakNews Online
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice John Tsoho, has reassigned the case of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to another judge.
This development was confirmed in a statement issued on Saturday by Kanu’s lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, in Abuja.
Kanu had previously requested the recusal of Justice Binta Nyako, who was presiding over the seven-count terrorism charges brought against him by the Federal Government.
Following her recusal, the case was initially returned to the Chief Judge for reassignment, but it was unexpectedly reassigned to her—a decision that Kanu strongly opposed.
On February 20, Kanu’s legal team wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, seeking her intervention in the matter.
Ejimakor disclosed that on Friday, March 7, the legal team received two official letters regarding Kanu’s case:
A letter from the Chief Justice of Nigeria, responding to their request for administrative intervention in the reassignment of the case.
A letter from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, confirming that Kanu’s case had been reassigned to another judge.
Kanu’s Reaction and Legal Strategy
Ejimakor stated that upon receiving the letters, Kanu expressed gratitude to the CJN for her prompt administrative discretion in handling the issue. He also appreciated public support for the call to reassign his case.
The statement further read:
“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 (since September 2024) posed significant dangers to his constitutional rights, particularly his right to a fair and speedy hearing. It was in light of this that we took extraordinary measures to ensure that his case is properly reassigned and conducted by the law.”
Now that the authorities have acted in accordance with legal provisions, Kanu’s legal team will focus on preparing a strong defense in the upcoming trial.
