A new judge at the Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled March 21 for the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
This decision comes after the case was reassigned following concerns raised by Kanu’s legal team.
Kanu, who was brought back to Nigeria from Kenya in June 2021, will be facing terrorism-related charges.
His trial is starting afresh under Justice James Omotosho, who took over the case after Justice Binta Nyako stepped down last year.
The shift in judges began when Kanu’s legal team claimed that Justice Nyako was biased, leading her to withdraw from the case in September 2024.
However, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, initially returned the case to Nyako, stating that a formal request was necessary before her withdrawal could be accepted.
In response, Kanu’s lawyers insisted she no longer had jurisdiction, forcing an indefinite suspension of the trial.
Over the years, multiple judges have handled Kanu’s case.
Before Justice Nyako, Justices Ahmed Mohammed and John Tsoho also presided over the matter, but Kanu rejected both. Now, with Justice Omotosho taking over, the long-running legal battle is set to resume in a few days.
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