IPOB: Nnamdi Kanu dares judge as court adjourns case indefinitely

The judge of a Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice Binta Nyako, has adjourned the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), indefinitely.

Nyako adjourned the suit on Monday following Kanu’s insistence that the judge cannot preside over his case since she had recused herself.

He arrived at the court premises in company with SSS operatives at about 8:30 am on Monday.

Drama ensued in court on Monday morning when Kanu’s lawyer Aloy Ejimakor told Justice Nyako to recuse herself from the trial.

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Ejimakor said her request to quit the case came from Kanu, the leader of the proscribed IPOB, a group agitating for the secession of Southeast states from Nigeria.

Kanu’s trial was earlier stalled after Nyako recused herself from the case following the IPOB leader’s oral application on 24 September 2024.

On Monday, the prosecuting counsel led by Adegboyega Awomolo, told the judge was ready for the commencement of trial as his witnesses were ready.

However, Ejimakor said his client has made a choice to not stand trial before Nyako.

“The defendant is still asking that your lordship recuse herself from this matter,” Ejimakor told the court.

In response, the judge said “the Chief Judge had not accepted the recusal and had referred the case back” to her for trial.

She asked the defence team led by Ejimakor to send a written application if they still insist on the recusal.

Kanu has been in the custody of the SSS since 2021.

The IPOB leader is standing trial on charges of terrorism and treasonable felony arising from his separatist movement.

IPOB is a separatist group in Nigeria that aims to restore the defunct Republic of Biafra, a country which seceded from Nigeria in 1967 prior to the Nigerian Civil War.

The Nigerian government proscribed IPOB and tagged it a terror group in 2017. IPOB last week challenged its proscription as a terror group at the Supreme Court.