Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja has officially recused herself from the treason trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the self-acclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The dramatic turn of events occurred on Tuesday after Kanu openly requested that she step down from presiding over his case, citing loss of confidence in the court.
The proceedings took an unexpected twist when Kanu's lawyer, Alloy Ejimakor, requested a postponement of the trial, arguing that his client had been denied adequate time to prepare his defense. However, before Ejimakor could conclude his argument, Kanu abruptly interjected, commanding his lawyer to stop speaking.
"Sit down! I say you should sit down," Kanu told his lawyer, before addressing the court directly. He expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of his case, stating, "My Lord, I have no confidence in this court anymore. I ask you to recuse yourself because you did not abide by the decision of the Supreme Court. I can understand if the DSS refuses to obey a court order, but for this court to disregard a Supreme Court ruling is regrettable."
Prosecution lawyer Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) urged the court to move forward with the trial, but Justice Nyako made the decisive move to step aside. "I hereby recuse myself and remit the case file back to the Chief Judge," she declared, leaving the next steps in Kanu's legal battle uncertain.
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