The family of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu has called for sanctions on the Chief Judge of Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, and a judge, and Justice Binta Nyako, for disobeying court orders.
Kanu’s family said Justice Tsoho and Nyako’s disobedience of valid court judgments had brought the judiciary into disrepute.
This was contained in a statement signed on behalf of the family by Prince Emmanuel Kanu.
The family also commended the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, for her intervention in ensuring that the IPOB leader’s decade long trial is duly re-assigned to another judge.
The statement read, “We welcome the timely intervention of the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria in ensuring that the decade long sham trial of Nnamdi Kanu is duly assigned to a competent judge untainted by bias or one that openly and unashamedly pander to tribal sentiments or exhibit the tendency to succumb to executive manipulation; we find it shocking that it required the involvement of the conscious public and that of the most senior judicial officer in Nigeria for Binta Nyako to obey her own order of recusal she made in her own court.
“In any sane country that takes adherence to the rule of law seriously, both the John Tsoho the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and Binta Nyako the presiding judge that made the recusal order ought to be sanctioned for bringing the judiciary into disrepute. Is it not bizarre that a judge blatantly refused to obey an order of court?
“At the heart of this long running saga is the attempt by the state of Nigeria to criminalise self determination which is a right guaranteed by law.”
Kanu is currently detained by the Department of State Services, DSS, on the orders of the Nigerian government.
The IPOB leader is detained despite several court rulings discharging and acquitting him of all treasonable charges.
But the Nigerian government levelled terrorism charges against Kanu.
However, in September 2024, Kanu asked Justice Nyako to recuse herself from his trial because he longer has confidence in her.
Following the call, Nyako stepped down and transferred Kanu’s case file to Justice Tsoho but he rejected it and ordered her to continue with the case.
In December, Justice Tsoho adjourned Kanu’s case indefinitely.
Meanwhile, Kanu’s trial has been reassigned to another judge following calls by his legal team.