Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), recently disclosed that he had received an unexpected summons from the Federal High Court, instructing him to appear before Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako.
This came despite Justice Nyako having recused herself from the case previously. Kanu’s Special Counsel, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, made the announcement in a statement released on Friday, February 7, following a routine visit by Kanu’s family and legal team.
Kanu’s legal team, led by Ejimakor, had earlier submitted a request to transfer the case, identified as FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, from the Abuja Division to a Federal Court Division in the South-East..…CONTINUE READING
The application, filed on January 30, 2025, was based on a prior order from September 24, 2024, in which Justice Nyako recused herself after Kanu made an oral request in court. The legal team’s request was in accordance with Order 49, Rule 3 of the Federal High Court Rules 2019 and Section 45 of the Federal High Court Act.
In his statement, Ejimakor expressed surprise over the notice of the hearing scheduled for February 10, 2025, under Justice Nyako, as she had already recused herself. He further revealed that after Nyako’s recusal, the case was sent to other judges in the Abuja division for reassignment, but none agreed to take the case. Consequently, the file was returned to Justice Nyako.
Ejimakor’s legal team strongly objected to the case being reassigned to a judge who had already stepped down, arguing that the case should instead be moved to a court in the South-East. The offenses in question are alleged to have occurred in that region, which gives the Southeast courts superior jurisdiction. The legal team requested that their application be addressed before the scheduled hearing to prevent a miscarriage of justice for Kanu
