Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has formally petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to direct the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, to reassign his case to another judge with the proper jurisdiction.
In a letter addressed to the CJN, Kanu’s legal team, led by Aloy Ejimakor, argued that the current judge, Justice Binta Nyako, had already recused herself from the case after Kanu accused her of bias. According to Ejimakor, when a judge voluntarily recuses themselves, the immediate legal consequence is disqualification from further involvement in the case. He stated that a recusal is essentially a ruling on jurisdiction and cannot be overturned arbitrarily.
Kanu is facing seven terrorism-related charges brought against him by the Federal Government. Ejimakor stressed that allowing a judge who had previously recused themselves to resume the case could undermine public perception and judicial integrity. “If a judge unilaterally takes up a case after recusal, it sends a message of partiality, which erodes public trust in the judiciary,” he stated.
Ejimakor also revealed that Kanu had filed a formal complaint against Justice Nyako with the National Judicial Council (NJC) on January 14, 2025, and that the petition was still under review. He urged the CJN to intervene and ensure Kanu’s trial is fair, either by transferring the case to another judge in Abuja or to a court in the South-East.