The terrorism case against the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has been reassigned to a new judge.

This reassignment follows months of mounting pressure, and the decision was directed by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice John Tsoho.

Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu’s special counsel, made the announcement in a statement on Saturday. Prior to the reassignment, Justice Binta Nyako had been presiding over the IPOB leader’s trial. However, during the court hearing on September 24, 2024, Kanu requested that Justice Nyako recuse herself, accusing her of bias in handling the case.

The statement from Kanu’s legal team reads:
“Yesterday, before conducting our routine visitation to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, we received two separate official letters regarding his case. These letters are momentous and somewhat pyrrhic. One letter was from the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, responding to our recent correspondence seeking her prompt administrative intervention. The second was from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, confirming that the case has been reassigned to another judge.”

Following these developments, Kanu expressed his sincere gratitude to the Chief Justice of Nigeria for her swift response and sound administrative discretion. His legal team also thanked the public for their unwavering support in the demand for a lawful reassignment of the case, in line with the law.

The statement continued:
“To be clear, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has always been ready for trial as he firmly believes in his innocence. However, the events of the past six months—since the September 2024 recusal—posed significant threats to his constitutional rights, particularly his right to a fair and speedy trial. These developments compelled us to take extraordinary steps to ensure the case is reassigned and conducted lawfully.”

With the reassignment now in place, Kanu and his legal team plan to move forward with the preparation of his defense, ensuring that the case proceeds in accordance with the law.