The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice John Tsoho, has reassigned the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to a new judge. Kanu, who has been in detention since 2021, is facing a seven-count treasonable felony charge brought by the Federal Government.
Justice Binta Nyako, who previously presided over the case, had adjourned it indefinitely after Kanu and his legal team accused her of bias and requested her recusal. Although the Chief Judge initially dismissed this request, he later reassigned the case following intervention from the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
Kanu’s lawyer, Alloy Ejimakor, confirmed the development, expressing gratitude for the swift intervention and reaffirming Kanu’s readiness to stand trial to prove his innocence. The legal team, however, did not disclose the name of the new judge.
Kanu was first arrested in 2015 but fled the country after being granted bail. He was rearrested in Kenya in 2021 and brought back to Nigeria, where he has remained in DSS custody. The Court of Appeal had previously ordered his release and dismissed the charges against him, but the Supreme Court overturned this decision in December 2023, allowing the Federal Government to proceed with his trial.
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