Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Tuesday requested that Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja recuse herself from his ongoing trial.
Kanu made this plea from the dock during the resumed hearing of the seven-count terrorism charges brought against him by the Federal Government.
While his lawyer, Mr. Alloy Ejimakor, was making an argument to have the trial suspended on the grounds that Kanu had not been given adequate time to prepare his defense, Kanu unexpectedly interrupted. He sprang up from his seat and instructed his lawyer to sit down, signaling his disagreement with the proceedings.
“Sit down! I say you should sit down!” Kanu bellowed from the dock.
Continuing, he said: “My lord, I have no confidence in this court anymore and I ask you to recuse yourself because you did not abide by the decision of the Supreme Court.
“I can understand it if the DSS refuses to obey a court order, but for this court to refuse to obey an order of the Supreme Court is regrettable.
“I am asking you to recuse yourself from this case,” Kanu stated.
Kanu’s call for the judge to step down suggests he believes that he may not receive a fair trial under Justice Nyako. This dramatic turn in the courtroom highlights ongoing tensions in the legal battle surrounding his case, where the IPOB leader has consistently denied the charges against him, including those related to terrorism and separatism.
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At the resumed trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, urged Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja to disregard Kanu’s request for her recusal. Awomolo contended that the Supreme Court had already directed the trial to continue based on the pending seven-count terrorism charge against Kanu.
“The Justices ordered this court to proceed with the hearing of the charge against the defendant,” Awomolo emphasized, urging the judge not to recuse herself over what he called a “mere observation” that had no bearing on the Supreme Court’s decision.
He described Kanu’s call for recusal as an “incompetent observation” and pressed the court to continue the trial.
Despite this, Kanu once again rose from the dock, this time waving a document that he claimed was the Supreme Court’s ruling.
He read a portion where the apex court held that actions of the trial court in the matter “rendered the impartiality of the judge suspect.”
“But my lord, you know that I love you. It is just that this court is allowing the defence to railroad me into a trial that is at variance with every provision of the Constitution,” Kanu added.
His actions underscore his strong opposition to the proceedings and his insistence on challenging the legitimacy of his trial. The courtroom exchange further highlighted the tension surrounding Kanu’s legal battles and his dissatisfaction with the judicial process.
After she had expressed her dissatisfaction with the development, Justice Nyako said she was not willing to continue with the case.
“I hereby recuse myself and remit the case file back to the Chief Judge,” she held.
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