Real reason Justice Nyako wants to preside over my trial despite recusal – Nnamdi Kanu

Nnamdi Kanu, chief of the outlawed Indigenous Folks of Biafra (IPOB), has accused Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal Excessive Court docket, Abuja, of insisting on presiding over his trial due to ongoing corruption circumstances in opposition to her husband and son.

Mr Kanu spoke on Monday when he appeared in court docket for his resumed trial.

A video clip that confirmed him making unsubstantiated accusations in opposition to the choose has been circulating on social media, primarily Fb.

“Justice Binta Nyako is utilizing her place for private achieve. Her son and her husband are going through corruption expenses. And so they (the Nigerian Authorities) informed them (the choose and the court docket) that in the event that they convict me (they may free the son and the husband).

“They (Nigerian Authorities) despatched her to my case to allow them to launch or smoothen the pathway for the husband and the son,” Mr Kanu mentioned.

Though the IPOB chief didn’t point out particulars of the corruption circumstances or the names of the choose’s husband and son, this newspaper is conscious that Murtala Nyako – the choose’s husband and son, Abdulaziz, are being prosecuted by the EFCC over allegations of fraud amounting to N29 billion.

The older Nyako, a retired admiral, was the governor of Adamawa State between 2007 and 2008 after which from 2008 to 2014 when the State Home of Meeting impeached him over corruption allegations. The Court docket of Enchantment in 2016 quashed the impeachment however declined to return him as governor, saying his tenure had elapsed.

Why I insist on her recusal – Kanu

In the course of the court docket’s final listening to on 24 September 2024, Mr Kanu requested that Mrs Nyako recuse herself from presiding over the matter, accusing her of bias.

The choose subsequently introduced her withdrawal from the matter, however the Chief Decide of the Federal Excessive Court docket later reassigned the matter to Mrs Nyako.

Since then, Mr Kanu and his workforce of legal professionals have repeatedly opposed Mrs Nyako from sitting over the case.

On the resumed listening to on Monday, Mr Kanu, within the clip recorded inside court docket premises, mentioned he had been insisting on Mrs Nyako’s recusal as a result of the choose disobeyed a Supreme Court docket ruling that ordered his bail to be restored.

“There’s a breach of judicial oath. They (Mrs Nyako and the court docket) have violated their judicial oath (as a result of) they’ve proven bias, in accordance with the Supreme Court docket,” the IPOB chief mentioned, ignoring nudges from his legal professionals.

“The Supreme Court docket mentioned you’re biased. You’re in opposition to me. You shouldn’t have my bail. The Nigerian Authorities went to Kenya and kidnapped me. This stuff are within the public area. Why, subsequently, are they insisting on attempting me?” he said.

“A court docket order was entered. In that very court docket order, it was mentioned very clearly and succinctly that she (Mrs Nyako) isn’t any extra going to attempt me. Why are they insisting, I ask? As a result of they don’t have any case in opposition to me and so they comprehend it.”

‘Poor information of the legislation is killing Nigeria’

Mr Kanu, on the court docket, additionally faulted the chief choose of the Federal Excessive Court docket for reassigning his case to Mrs Nyako regardless of her recusal.

“The prosecution and this court docket don’t know the legislation, and that’s the actual fact. Poor information of the legislation is killing Nigeria,” he started.

Pulling out onerous copies of a paper, he mentioned, “It is a federal gazetted legislation of Nigeria that claims right here that the chief choose of Nigeria can not inform Binta Nyako what to do.

“It’s right here. It’s your legislation. Simply obey it.”

Mr Kanu mentioned he would not recognise no matter Mrs Nyako says as a result of she has no “jurisdiction” to preside over his case.

“She stands recused from my case and can’t attempt me. I got here right here (within the court docket) out of courtesy and respect,” he mentioned.

The IPOB chief mentioned he’s agitating for Biafra’s independence from Nigeria as a result of he has the appropriate to take action.

Background

Mr Kanu was first arrested in 2015 beneath the administration of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Court docket of Enchantment, Abuja, on 13 October 2022, held that the IPOB chief was terribly renditioned to Nigeria and that the motion violated the nation’s extradition treaty and in addition a breach of his basic human rights.

The court docket, subsequently, struck out the terrorism expenses filed in opposition to Mr Kanu by the Nigerian authorities and ordered his launch from the ability of the State Safety Service

However the authorities refused to launch the IPOB chief, insisting that he (Kanu) may very well be unavailable in subsequent court docket proceedings if launched and that his launch would trigger insecurity within the South-east, the place he comes from.

The federal government, by means of the workplace of the Lawyer-Basic of the Federation, later appealed the court docket ruling and subsequently obtained an order staying the execution of the court docket judgement on the Supreme Court docket.

Delivering judgement on the attraction on 15 December 2023, the Supreme Court docket reversed the acquittal granted to Mr Kanu by the decrease court docket and consequently ordered the continuation of his trial on the Federal Excessive Court docket Abuja.