Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), asked Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja to recuse herself from his trial, citing a lack of confidence in the court's impartiality. During the proceedings, Kanu interrupted his lawyer and expressed dissatisfaction with the court for allegedly not following a Supreme Court decision.
Kanu argued that the court had failed to obey the Supreme Court's directives, suggesting that this compromised the fairness of his trial. The prosecution, however, urged the court to proceed, claiming that Kanu's concerns were baseless.
Despite the prosecution's request, Justice Nyako expressed her reluctance to continue and recused herself from the case, remitting the case file to the Chief Judge. Kanu’s legal struggles stem from a long history of his involvement with IPOB, including arrests, bail, and re-arrest after fleeing the country following a military raid on his home. The Supreme Court had previously vacated an appellate court ruling, allowing Kanu’s trial on terrorism-related charges to proceed.