Nnamdi Kanu Thanks CJN, Kekere-Ekun as His Case Is Reassigned to a New Judge for Trial

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho has finally reassigned the case of the detained leader the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to a new judge for trial.

The reassignment of the case is a major demand of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who insisted in his last court appearance that he would not stand trial before Justice Binta Murital-Nyako who had earlier recused herself from the case.

The reassignment of the case has also elicited appreciation from Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who has instructed his lawyers to publicly thank Justice Kudirat Ademola Kekere-Ekun, the Chief Justice of Nigeria for doing the right thing.

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According to a statement released on Saturday by Mr. Aloy Ejimakor, the lead counsel of Mazi Kanu, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun has intervened and prompted the speedy reassignment of the matter.

Part of the statement reads:

“Yesterday, before the legal team conducted our routine visitation to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, we received two separate official letters regarding his case. The letters are momentous and somewhat pyrrhic.

“One letter was from the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, responding to a recent letter we had written to her, seeking her prompt administrative intervention (as the administrative head of Nigerian judiciary) on the matter of a proper and lawful reassignment of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case, following the recusal of the Judge that was conducting it.

“The other letter was from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, informing us that the case has been reassigned to another Judge of the Federal High Court.

“Consequent upon these latest developments, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu instructed the legal team to publicly convey his sincere gratitudes to the Chief Justice of Nigeria for her sound administrative discretions and the despatch with which she responded to our request.

“He also expressed his profound appreciations to members of the general public who publicly expressed their support to our righteous demands that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case be reassigned to another Judge, as the law demands.

“To be sure, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has always been ready to take his trial because he is firmly convinced of his innocence. But the perverse events of the past six months (from September 2024, when the recusal happened) posed portent dangers to his constitutional rights, particularly his right to fair and speedy hearing.

“It was in view of these untoward developments that we were propelled to resort to taking extraordinary measures to ensure that his case is properly reassigned and conducted in accordance with the law.

“So, now that the first steps have been taken by the authorities to do the lawful thing, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his legal team shall take stock and hanker down to the zealous preparation of his defense