Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), rejects the Nigerian government’s request to continue his trial. His legal counsel argues that the recusal order for Justice Binta Nyako remains valid. This follows Kanu's controversial rendition and ongoing legal disputes regarding his terrorism charges.
Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has rejected the Nigerian government's request to continue his terrorism trial. His legal representative, Aloy Ejimakor, sent a letter to the court in December 2024, opposing the government's move. The letter, shared on social media by Ejimakor, emphasized that Justice Binta Nyako's previous order for recusal still stands, preventing her from presiding over the case.
Kanu, who has been in detention since his controversial repatriation from Kenya in June 2021, is being prosecuted for alleged terrorism charges. The request from the Nigerian government came after the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court reassigned Kanu's case to Justice Nyako, despite her earlier decision to step down from the matter. The government, through its lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo, asked the court to set a date for the trial to resume, citing the absence of any ruling that invalidates Nyako's recusal order.
Ejimakor, however, argued that the recusal order issued on September 24, 2024, remains in effect, and no court has overturned it. He described the government’s request as unconstitutional and misleading, emphasizing that the trial can only proceed under a different judge. Kanu’s legal team has repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of the charges and his detention, which has become a focal point in the ongoing legal and political dispute in Nigeria.
