The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, has reassigned the case of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to a new judge. This development was disclosed by Kanu’s lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, in a statement on Saturday.
Ejimakor revealed that Kanu remains prepared to face his trial, asserting his confidence in his innocence. According to Ejimakor’s statement, before the legal team’s routine visitation to Kanu, they received two significant official letters regarding his case.
“One letter was from the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, responding to a recent letter we had written to her, seeking her prompt administrative intervention (as the administrative head of the Nigerian judiciary) on the matter of a proper and lawful reassignment of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case, following the recusal of the judge that was conducting it,” the statement read.
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“The other letter was from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, informing us that the case has been reassigned to another judge of the Federal High Court.”
Ejimakor further conveyed Kanu’s gratitude to the Chief Justice of Nigeria for her timely response and sound administrative discretion. Kanu also expressed appreciation to members of the public who supported the demand for a reassignment of his case in line with legal provisions.
Kanu’s legal team emphasized that he has always been ready for trial, maintaining that he is innocent of the charges against him. However, delays since September 2024, when the previous judge recused themselves, had raised concerns over his constitutional rights, particularly his right to a fair and speedy trial.
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“It was in view of these untoward developments that we were propelled to resort to taking extraordinary measures to ensure that his case is properly reassigned and conducted in accordance with the law,” Ejimakor stated.
Now that the authorities have taken the initial steps to rectify the situation, Kanu and his legal team are set to focus on preparing his defense vigorously. The reassignment of his case marks a crucial step in ensuring due process and addressing concerns over legal proceedings surrounding his trial.