IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu demands his trial be relocated to the Southeast, rejecting Justice Nyako’s return after her recusal. The move raises constitutional questions on jurisdiction.
The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has once again raised concerns over the handling of his trial, demanding that his case be transferred to a Federal High Court in the Southeast. Kanu made this request through his lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, during a routine meeting at the Department of State Services (DSS) facility in Abuja on Wednesday.
This development follows Justice Binta Nyako’s recusal from the case in September 2024 after Kanu filed a formal request for her to step down, citing lack of confidence in her handling of the matter.
Justice Nyako had, in September 2024, recused herself from Kanu’s trial after he raised concerns about impartiality. The case file was subsequently forwarded to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, for reassignment.
However, Kanu’s legal team now fears that Justice Nyako might resume the trial, a move Kanu argues would contradict her earlier decision to withdraw from the case.
“This would amount to the court disobeying its own order of recusal,” Ejimakor noted in a statement issued after the meeting.
In his statement, Ejimakor revealed Kanu’s firm stance that the trial be moved to a Federal High Court within the Southeast or any other location in the former Eastern Nigeria if no judge in Abuja is willing to take the case.
“Onyendu instructed the legal team to ensure that his trial does not return to Justice Binta Nyako, as she had already withdrawn from the case. If no other judge in Abuja is willing to handle the trial, we demand a transfer to Umuahia, Awka, Enugu, Asaba, or Port Harcourt, where the alleged offenses were committed or had their impact,” Ejimakor emphasized.
Kanu’s insistence on transferring the case to the Southeast raises constitutional questions regarding jurisdiction and the proper administration of justice. His legal team argues that relocating the trial to the Southeast aligns with the principles of justice and proximity to the alleged offenses.
As the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court reviews the reassignment of the case, Kanu’s legal team is preparing to return to court, provided a new judge is assigned. The decision to transfer the trial remains pivotal, as it could set a significant legal precedent in the handling of high-profile cases involving separatist leaders.
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