Justice Omotosho James of the Federal High Court in Abuja has set March 21 for the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, following the reassignment of his case.
Justice Omotosho James on Nnamdi Kanu’s Trial
The trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, is set to resume on March 21, 2025, under Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja. This follows the reassignment of the case, which was previously handled by Justice Binta Nyako.
The latest development comes after Justice Nyako recused herself from the case in September 2024 due to allegations of bias raised by Kanu and his legal team. Despite the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court initially directing that Kanu file a formal application for the recusal, his legal team persisted in seeking a reassignment. Their request was finally granted, leading to the case being transferred to Justice Omotosho.
Kanu is facing a seven-count terrorism charge brought against him by the Federal Government. His legal battle has been marked by multiple adjournments and legal challenges, including his opposition to appearing before Justice Nyako after her initial reinstatement on the case. This resulted in the matter being indefinitely suspended until a new judge was assigned.
On February 20, 2025, Kanu’s legal team wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, requesting a reassignment of the case to another judge in the Federal High Court in Abuja or a transfer to the Southeast. On March 8, Kanu’s lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, confirmed receiving official letters from both the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, stating that the case had been reassigned.
