Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled March 21 for the resumption of Nnamdi Kanu’s trial. The leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) will now face trial under a newly assigned judge after the case file was transferred to Justice Omotosho.
Kanu, who was brought back to Nigeria from Kenya in June 2021, is expected to take his plea as the case will start afresh (de novo). His legal team had previously requested a transfer of the seven-count terrorism charge to another judge, alleging bias.
Following this, Justice Binta Nyako, who had been handling the case, recused herself on September 24, 2024, stating she could not continue if the defendant lacked confidence in the court. However, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, initially returned the case to Nyako, insisting that Kanu’s legal team must file a formal application for her recusal.
On February 10, Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, challenged Justice Nyako’s jurisdiction, arguing that she had already withdrawn from the case. This led her to adjourn the matter indefinitely (sine die), prompting the eventual reassignment to Justice Omotosho.
Before Justice Nyako, the case had also been handled by Justices Ahmed Mohammed and John Tsoho, both of whom Kanu had previously rejected.
