The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra ,IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu has asked the Nigerian government to transferred his trial to another judge in the South-East.
This followed hints that no judge at the Federal High Court in Abuja is willing to preside over the case apart from Justice Binta Nyako.
Mr. Kanu’s demand was outlined in a statement on Wednesday by his lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor after a routine meeting with the IPOB leader at the headquarters of the Department of State Services , DSS, in Abuja.
Kanu has clearly rejected the reassigning of his trial to justice Nyako who he accused of bias, particularly her selective implementation of the supreme court judgement which favoured the FG.
Kanu had asked Justice Nyako to recuse herself, which she did. However, Kanu claims the FG is in breech of the constitution for reassigning his trial to a Judge who has recused herself.
“The central issue arising at today’s visitation is the upcoming court date for the continuation of MNK’s case.
“Due to its constitutional implications, Onyendu instructed the legal team to take certain prompt steps to ensure that his case is not handled by the same Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako, who had withdrawn from the case by virtue of the order of recusal entered on 24th September 2024,” Ejimakor said in the statement.
Kanu’s legal team also emphasised the importance of appointing a new judge and suggested moving the trial to a Federal High Court in the South-East where the alleged offences were said to have occurred.
“If no other judge in Abuja is willing to handle the case, the Chief Judge is free to transfer the case to Umuahia, Awka, Enugu, Asaba, Port Harcourt, or any other Federal High Court within the former Eastern Nigeria, where the alleged offenses were said to have occurred or had their impact,” the statement read.
