by There was drama in court on Tuesday during the terrorism trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Kanu accused the judge, Justice Binta Nyako, of being biased and asked her to step down from the case.
Kanu, who is facing charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja, said Justice Nyako had ignored a ruling by the Supreme Court, leading him to lose confidence in her handling of the case. During the court session, Kanu shouted at his lawyer, Alloy Ejimakor, telling him to sit down when he tried to speak.
Kanu directly told the judge, “My Lord, I have no confidence in this court anymore, and I ask you to recuse yourself because you did not follow the Supreme Court’s decision.”
In response, Justice Nyako agreed to step down, saying, “I hereby recuse myself and remit the case file back to the Chief Judge.”
The prosecution lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), urged the judge not to step down, saying Kanu’s claims had no basis. However, Kanu insisted, waving a document he claimed was the Supreme Court ruling that supported his argument.
Justice Nyako’s decision to withdraw from the case will now lead to the Chief Judge reassigning it to another judge.
Kanu, who was first arrested in 2015 and later fled the country, was re-arrested in Kenya in 2021 and has since been in the custody of the Department of State Services. His requests for bail have been repeatedly denied by the court.
