Justice Binta Nyako don wash hand comot Nnamdi Kanu case

Justice Binta Nyako don recuse herself – wash hand comot- from Nnamdi Kanu case after Kanu say e no get confidence in her.

“I no longer have confidence in you, recuse yourself”, Kanu bin tell di Judge wen e mata resume for court on Tuesday.

E tok dis one inside court afta im lawyer Aloy Ejimakor try to convince di court say trial cannot start wen di Department of State Services (DSS) neva obey di court order to give dem a conducive environmnet to prepare dia case.

Kanu, di leader of di secessionist group Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), dey face treason and terrorism charges wey di Nigeria goment sama am sake of im fight for di independence of di eastern region of di kontri.

E bin don plead not guilty to di charges.

As proceedings start on Tuesday, lawyer to di federal goment, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) tell di court say dem dey ready wit dia first witness, and dem dey request for witness protection.

But Ejimakor tell di court say dem still neva get opportunity to prepare dia client as DSS still dey gree give dem chance as court bin don order. E also tok say dem don file three appeals on di matter bifor di Court of Appeal, two of dem dey challenge di jurisdiction of di court and one dey challenge di revocation of Kanu bail.

Justice Nyako den suggest make Ejimakor allow for di prosecution counsel to call dia witness, and im and Kanu go get briefing for di court dia and come back di next day for cross examination.

Ejimakor insist dat e no go allow im client to enter trial witout preparation.

As di argument between Ejimakor, Awomolo and Justice Nyako dey go on, Nnamdi Kanu ask for permission to address di court and e tok say im no longer get confidence say Justice Nyako go deliver Justice for di matter.

“My Lord, you don consistently ignore di ruling of di Supreme Court wey tok say I no jump bail. And I also get three appeals bifor di Appeal Court for dis matter,” e tok.

Kanu den ask Justice Nyako to comot herself from di matter.

Prosecution counsel, Awomolo, oppose di application for di Judge to recuse hersef from di matter, but Justice Nyako tok say she no get any wahala to comot hersef from di case.

“I actually dey happy to recuse mysef from dis case and dat na wetin I go do. I go forward di case file to di Chief Judge of di Federal High Court for further action,” she tok, and rise.

‘Di fifth year in detention no go kill me’ – Kanu

Kanu with im lawyers for court on Tuesday

Now dat Justice Nyako don comot hand for di matter, wetin go happen be say di Chief Judge go assign di case file to anoda Judge and di matter go start afresh.

E neva clear yet wen dis matter go start again, but e also mean say Nnamdi Kanu go remain in DSS custody until dat time.

Wen tori pipo ask am afta di trial weda im no dey worried say im go remain for custody for long, Kanu tok say “dis na di fourth year wey I dey stay for solitary confinement, di fifth year no go kill me”.

I dey against how dem dey pick some parts of di Supreme court judgement. I dey innocent, dem no get anytin against me, dem no fit hold trial wen dem dey violate key sections of di constitution and key Supreme court judgement”.

Lawyer to Kanu Aloy Ejimakor tell tori pipo say wetin make Kanu make di decision of ask di judge to comot her hand for di case be sake of say dem get three appeals wey court no handle well.

Supreme court criticise di revocation of im bail by di high court, di oda one be di issue of jurisdiction of di high court to oversee di case.

“We try to make di court understand our matter but di court no consider am, di court dey insist on di matter and wan do trial without giving im di opportunity to fair hearing, na im make our client make up im mind to tell di judge to comot her hand.” E tok.

Kanu don dey for di custody of di Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021 wen security pipo gbab am for Kenya carry am come back Nigeria.

What about di out-of-court option?

For di last court date on June 19, Kanu lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor bin tell di court say dem fit explore oda options outside di courts to secure im release.

Di lawyer say di discussion dey go on, e add say na di south east leaders and gi goment dey do di tok tok say e no be di work of di lawyers.

Ejimakor bin invoke section 17 of di Federal High Court Act, and section 174 of di 1999 constitution as e tok say parties in court fit explore alternative options for both civil and criminal matters.

Wen tori pipo ask am about dat option of out-of-court settlement, Ejimakor say “dat one no too dey for our hand, e dey for di hands of di leaders of di south east region. But I hear say di process don start”.

Timeline of Kanu trial

Nnamdi Kanu and his lawyers talking in court

Kanu na leader of Ipob, a group wey dey fight for di independence of Biafra.
Im bin dey live for London wia im go school for University of Liverpool
Na for London e set up Radio Biafra wey e dey use, togeda with oda social media platforms, to dey pass messages to im followers
Nigeria goment bin first arrest am for 2015 for Abuja Airport wen e visit Nigeria. Dem charge am to court and court remand am for Kuje prison
Two years later, court grant am bail on health grounds, but give am strong strong conditions wey include make e no grant interviews and make e no dey for gathering wey pass 10 pipo.
However, videos wey appear online show Kanu in di midst of thousands of im supporters wey come out to greet am. E also grant interviews to some local and international media
For September 2017, soldiers of Operation Python Dance bin allegedly attack Nnamdi Kanu house for Umuahia, Abia State, but e escape and nobody see am again
As Kanu no appear for court after some time, Justice Binta Nyako revoke im bail and issue arrest warrant on top im head
One year later, October 2018, video of Kanu as e go pilgrimage for Jerusalem appear online. Dat na di first time e dey appear for public since di 2017 incident
E later return to London and continue to dey broadcast messages for Radio Biafra and on top social media
For June 2021, Nigeria goment announce say dem don recapture Kanu and bring am back to Nigeria
Na later tori come out say na Kenyan security forces bin arrest am wen e visit di kontri and hand am over to Nigeria
Kanu case for di Federal High Court Abuja start again, but e remain for DSS Custody
April 2022, di court strike out eight of di 15 count-charges wey goment bring against Kanu
Kanu lawyers no dey satisfied as dem want make court strike out all di charges. Dem carry di mata to di Court of Appeal, and in October 2022, di court agree wit dem and discharge Kanu
But in December 2023, di Supreme Court overturn di appeal court judgement and tok say Kanu must to face trial