The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has requested Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja to withdraw from his ongoing trial.
This took place during the resumed hearing of the seven-count terrorism charge filed against him by the Federal Government.
Kanu’s demand followed his claims that the court failed to follow a Supreme Court directive.
During the proceedings, Kanu interrupted his lawyer, Alloy Ejimakor, and personally asked Justice Nyako to recuse herself, expressing a lack of confidence in the court’s impartiality.
In response, the Federal Government’s counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, urged the court to continue the hearing, arguing that the Supreme Court had instructed the trial to proceed on the pending charges.
After hearing the submissions, Justice Nyako expressed her discontent with the developments and agreed to withdraw from the case. She subsequently returned the case file to the Chief Judge for reassignment.
Nnamdi Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his extraordinary rendition from Kenya in 2021. The Supreme Court had earlier vacated a Court of Appeal judgment that quashed the charges against him, allowing the Federal Government to continue with the trial.
