Hope Rises for Nnamdi Kanu’s Release
By Our Correspondent
The detained leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has been ordered to appear before Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako on Monday, February 10, 2025.
This unexpected production order arises from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court’s inability to reassign Kanu’s case after Justice Murtala-Nyako recused herself from his trial.
In a conversation with journalists in Abuja, Kanu’s lead counsel, Mr. Alloy Ejimakor, expressed surprise at the sudden order and indicated he would be there on Monday with “a bated breath.”
He stated, “Our discussions centered on the surprising notice we received to appear in court with Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on Monday, February 10, 2025. We shall appear with a bated breath.”
Earlier, Kanu’s legal team had submitted an application to the court to transfer the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015 from the Abuja Division to a Federal Court Division located in the South-East states.
The application, dated January 30, 2025, was filed under Order 49, Rule 3 of the Federal High Court Rules 2019 and Section 45 of the Federal High Court Act. Kanu’s legal team explained that the application follows Justice Nyako’s recusal on September 24, 2024, based on a request made by Kanu during an open court session.
They stated, “We have been informed that, following the recusal, Justice Murtala-Nyako promptly sent the case file for reassignment to another judge in the Abuja division.
However, it turned out that no judges in the Abuja division were willing to take the case, resulting in the file being sent back to Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako, from whose court we received a notice for a hearing on February 10, 2025.”
The legal team protested the decision to send the case back to Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako, asserting that she no longer has jurisdiction after her recusal.
They argued, “Given that no other judge in the Abuja division is willing to take the case, the only option left is to transfer it to any division of the Federal High Court in the Southeast geopolitical zone.
The alleged offenses significantly impacted the Southeast, giving that region a superior jurisdiction for this case compared to Abuja.”
They also pointed to Order 49, Rule 3 of the Federal High Court Rules 2019, Section 45 of the Federal High Court Act, and the case of **Ibori vs. FRN** (2009) 3 NWLR (pt. 1128) 283 as supportive precedents.
The legal team respectfully requested that their application be considered and granted before the scheduled hearing to prevent a potential miscarriage of justice for the defendant.
Prominent figures across Nigeria have also called on the federal government to release the detained IPOB leader, who has been in custody since 2021.
In July 2024, the Southeast Caucus of the House of Representatives urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu.
Recently, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, appealed to President Tinubu to “temper justice with mercy” and release Kanu in the spirit of rebuilding the Southeast, highlighting the importance of the Southeast Development Commission Bill.
Additionally, Hon. Kama Nkemkanma Kama, the lawmaker representing Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency in Ebonyi State, wrote an open letter to President Tinubu advocating for Kanu’s release, asserting that such a gesture would serve as a healing balm for Nigeria’s unity and enhance the economy of the Southeast region for the benefit of the entire nation.
