The legal battle surrounding the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has taken a new turn as his case has officially been reassigned to another judge.
This development was confirmed by Kanu’s lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, in a statement on Saturday.
Ejimakor revealed that Kanu remains fully prepared for trial and confident in his innocence.
“Yesterday, before the legal team conducted our routine visitation to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, we received two separate official letters regarding his case. The letters are momentous and somewhat pyrrhic,” Ejimakor stated.
According to him, one of the letters came from the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria in response to a request for administrative intervention, following the recusal of the previous judge handling Kanu’s case.
The second letter, from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, officially informed Kanu’s legal team of the case reassignment.
Expressing gratitude for the decision, Kanu instructed his legal team to acknowledge the efforts of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, stating, “Consequent upon these latest developments, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu instructed the legal team to publicly convey his sincere gratitudes to the Chief Justice of Nigeria for her sound administrative discretions and the despatch with which she responded to our request.”
He also extended appreciation to members of the public who supported the demand for his case to be reassigned.
Reiterating his readiness for trial, Ejimakor emphasized that Kanu has always been willing to defend himself in court but faced challenges due to the judicial disruptions that began in September 2024.
To be sure, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has always been ready to take his trial because he is firmly convinced of his innocence. But the perverse events of the past six months (from September 2024, when the recusal happened) posed portent dangers to his constitutional rights, particularly his right to fair and speedy hearing,” Ejimakor noted.
He further explained that the legal team had to take extraordinary measures to ensure the case was appropriately reassigned. Now that the authorities have taken steps to uphold due process, the focus will shift to Kanu’s defense.
“So, now that the first steps have been taken by the authorities to do the lawful thing, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his legal team shall take stock and hanker down to the zealous preparation of his defense,” he added.