The head of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Justice John Tsoho, has declined the request made by Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, to have his case reassigned to a different judge for trial.
During the hearing on September 24 regarding the seven-count terrorism charges filed against Kanu by the Federal Government, he expressed a lack of confidence in the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, and asked for her recusal.
Justice Nyako initially accepted the request and mentioned that she would return Kanu’s case file to the Chief Judge for reassignment.
However, Justice Tsoho decided to return Kanu’s case file to Justice Nyako, pointing out that two other judges had previously been recused from the case.
He clarified that Justice Nyako had been overseeing Kanu’s case for the majority of the time due to its lengthy duration since 2015, making her the most appropriate judge to continue presiding over it until its conclusion.
Justice Tsoho also mentioned that if Kanu still insists on having Justice Nyako recused at the next hearing, he must submit a formal written motion along with an affidavit outlining the reasons for his request.
“Nnamdi Kanu must also provide a copy to the prosecution team and appear before Justice Nyako for her consideration and decision before any further action is taken,” he stated.
Kanu’s legal representative, Aloy Ejimakor, confirmed the situation and mentioned that Kanu’s legal team is awaiting an official notification from the court regarding a new hearing date.