The Federal High Court has reassigned Nnamdi Kanu’s case to a new judge following intervention from Nigeria’s Chief Justice, Kudirat Kekekre-Ekun. This decision comes after months of legal uncertainty surrounding Kanu’s trial.
The legal battle surrounding Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has taken another turn as his case has been reassigned to a new judge at the Federal High Court. This development follows the intervention of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekekre-Ekun, after prolonged legal disputes over the handling of Kanu’s trial.
According to Kanu’s special counsel, Alloy Ejimakor, the decision was communicated to the legal team through two official letters received before their routine visit to Kanu at the State Security Service (SSS) detention facility. One letter was from the Chief Justice of Nigeria, responding to the legal team’s request for a proper and lawful reassignment of the case. The second letter was from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, officially confirming the reassignment of the case to a different judge.
Kanu’s legal proceedings have been marred by controversy and procedural conflicts. The most recent delay in the case occurred when the Federal High Court adjourned the matter indefinitely after Kanu openly challenged the court’s jurisdiction to try him. His outburst was based on the fact that the presiding judge had previously recused herself from the case following his oral application on September 24, 2024. However, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court later reinstated the case under the same judge, arguing that Kanu’s application needed to be formally presented as a motion on notice before it could be acted upon.
