In a fiery courtroom drama, Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), launched a scathing attack on Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, accusing her of bias and insisting she had been legally recused from presiding over his trial.
Kanu, visibly enraged, condemned the judge’s decision to continue hearing his case despite an existing court order recusing her. The separatist leader did not hold back, labeling the entire proceeding a “shrine to injustice” and accusing both the prosecution and judiciary of deliberate manipulation.
During the tense court session, Kanu confronted Justice Nyako head-on, declaring:
“I have a court order. You have recused yourself. If anyone disagrees, let them go to the appeal court—that is what you tell me all the time. You cannot preside over this case—not today, not tomorrow, not ever!”
He further questioned why the judiciary was insistent on keeping Justice Nyako on his case, citing previous instances where judges were removed without protest:
“The state recused Justice Adema from my case, and they did not insist that he must preside. So why must you insist on hearing my case?”
Accusing the judge of fraternizing with lawyers and justices while presiding over a politically sensitive case, Kanu fumed:
“You cannot be hobnobbing with lawyers, hobnobbing with justices, and still sit in judgment. It is shameful, absolutely shameful!”
A Standoff with the Prosecution
Kanu did not spare the prosecution either, accusing them of being compromised and financially motivated. He specifically called out the lead prosecutor, alleging he was being paid a staggering N300 million from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to keep the case alive.
“You are a grown man, yet you behave like a child because of N300 million. Go on appeal! Stop standing here and defending evil. If you have no respect for yourself, I will insult you!”
He further lambasted the Chief Judge for allegedly issuing a “stupid memo” to override the court’s recusal order, describing it as an abuse of judicial process.
Kanu accused the judiciary of applying double standards in his trial, arguing that legal principles were being bent to serve political interests.
“When it comes to Nnamdi Kanu, you twist the law. If the law says this paper is white, you say it is black. If it says black, you claim it is white. Is this the rule of law?”
Referencing Nigeria’s National Judicial Policy, Kanu insisted that no judge could override a court order based on a mere administrative memo from the Chief Judge.
“A judge must be subject only to the law, not instructions from anyone, including the Chief Judge. Once a court order is entered, the only way to challenge it is through an appeal. But here, you people want to change the law just for my case!”
The courtroom remained tense as Kanu defiantly reaffirmed his stance, insisting that Justice Nyako “must leave his case” and that he would not subject himself to a judge he deemed unfit to preside.
His fierce resistance highlights the deepening legal and political battle over his trial, raising fresh questions about judicial integrity and due process in Nigeria’s legal system.
With tempers flaring and legal arguments at a boiling point, all eyes are now on the next step—whether the judiciary will enforce the recusal order or push ahead with a trial fraught with controversy.
PIONEER NEWS 