By Jane Okafor Abuja
ABUJA: Embattled leader of the proscribed separatist group – Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Monday appeared before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja, declaring in a hectoring tones that the judge did not have the right to preside over his matter, forcing the court to adjourn indefinitely.
A trending Video has shown a captured moment Nnamdi Kanu talked tough to one of his lawyers: “Stop talking when I’m talking”
The incident happened after the court hearing on Monday, and Kanu was captured in the said video addressing newsmen. He was seen hitting one of his lawyers and commanding him: “Stop talking when I’m talking.”
Speaking in the courtroom shortly after the court session ended, Mr Kanu questioned why he was brought before the judge.
“Why is it, when it comes to my case, they turn it upside down, they turn the law upside down,” Mr Kanu yelled.
While pointing at Mr Awomolo, the lead prosecution counsel, Mr Kanu said, “An old man like this doesn’t know the law. You don’t know the law.”
And facing the newsmen in the courtroom, the IPOB leader declared, “This is the law of Nigeria, the prosecution and this court doesn’t know the law; that is the fact. Poor knowledge of the law is killing Nigeria. Poor knowledge of the law, they don’t know the law.”
He lamented his prolonged trial and the government’s review of the charges brought against him, and asked the Nigerian government to obey its own laws.
“This is a federal, gazetted law of Nigeria that says here that the Chief Judge of Nigeria cannot tell Binta Nyako what to do. It is here, it’s your law, obey it. That is why I do what I do. I agitate for Biafra, I agitate for Biafra by my right to agitate. They turned it from treasonable felony now to terrorism,” he noted.
Before turning away from journalists, angry Mr Kanu smacked a lawyer in his legal team on the back, chiding him to “stop talking while I’m talking.”
Prolonged trial
Mr Kanu’s trial was earlier stalled after Mrs Nyako recused herself from the case following the IPOB leader’s oral application on 24 September 2024.
The IPOB leader had broken into a conversation between the bar and the bench during the court session to tell the judge to withdraw from the case. He said he no longer had confidence in her handling of his trial.
The Daily Crucible reports that on September 24, Nyako recused herself from Kanu’s case after an oral application by the defendant.
“I hereby recuse myself and remit the case file back to the chief judge,” she had said.
Kanu directly told Nyako that he no longer had confidence in her handling of his trial.
However, John Tsoho, chief judge of the federal high court, returned the file to Nyako on the ground that Kanu’s application must be formally brought before the court through a motion on notice.
Consequently, in a letter dated December 5, 2024, and addressed to the deputy chief registrar, Adegboyega Awomolo, the prosecution counsel, asked the court to fix a date for the commencement of trial.
Opposing the request for a trial date, Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu’s counsel, in a letter dated December 9, 2024 said the ruling of the judge recusing herself remains valid.
Subsequently, Ejimakor asked that the case be transferred to a federal high court in the south-east if no judge in Abuja is willing to preside over it.
However at the resumed session on February 10, Awomolo told the court that the prosecution lawyers have filed and served all necessary processes in the suit and that they were ready to proceed with trial.
But Ejimakor insisted that was not the issue before the court.
Nyako pointed out that although she does not want to preside over the case, the chief judge has refused her recusal and directed the defendant to file a formal motion asking for a reassignment of the case to another judge.
While the lawyers in the suit argued over whether a formal motion was required, Kanu interjected: “I want to speak,” he roared.
Asked by the judge if he wanted to take over from his lawyer, the defendant said: “Yes, I want to take over.”
Kanu said he was only in court because of the respect he had for the court, but that Nyako no longer had the jurisdiction to preside over his case following her earlier recusal in September.
Turning with rage at the prosecution counsel, Kanu said: “A grown-up man like you who should be in the village and who should be making sure that things are done properly is here subverting the law.”
And addressing the judge, he hollered: “I don’t recognise the authority of this court to preside over my case. Everything you said here is meaningless to me.
“Why is it that when it comes to my case, everything is turned upside-down?”
He said the memo sent by the chief judge returning the case file to Nyako cannot override the enrolled order of the court made on September 24.
When told by the judge that he was at liberty to appeal the directive of the chief judge, Kanu said: “If the chief judge disagrees, he should appeal the decision.
“You cannot preside over this case, not now, not today, not ever. You stand recused and you must leave my case. I don’t need you in my case. You are biased. Tell the chief judge that Nnamdi Kanu said so.
“This is not a court of law, this is a shrine to injustice and I will not subject myself to it.”
In his submission, Awomolo asked the court to fix a date for trial.
“In view of the fact that the defendant has indicated that he would not make a formal application, I apply that your lordship gives us a definite date for trial,” Awomolo prayed.
“Because of money they are paying you from the AGF’s office, a grown-up man like you is here supporting evil. The rule of law says you should go on appeal,” Kanu replied.
“The same chief justice writing this stupid memo, I have recused him before. He sat on appeal, I took him to NJC and recused him. Why is he insisting on this one? He wants to embarrass your lordship by asking her to sit on this case.”
In her ruling, Nyako said: “The only decision I can make right now is that in the light of what is happening now in court, I am going to adjourn this case sine die (indefinitely).”
“You have no jurisdiction to adjourn anything. None whatsoever. You cannot make an order without jurisdiction. The memo from the chief judge cannot confer jurisdiction upon you,” Kanu barked at the judge.
The IPOB leader is standing trial for offences bordering on alleged terrorism and treasonable felony following the activities of members of the secessionist group, who have been alleged to be behind the spate of violent agitations, destruction of federal government facilities, kìlling of hundreds of police officers, soldiers and other federal government officials as well as the dreadful Monday sit – at. – home in the Southeast geopolitical zone.
However, ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s former aide, Bashir Ahmad, has flayed Nnamdi Kanu for his outburst against one of his lawyers in court.
Ahmad took to his social media page and described Nnamdi Kanu’s outburst as an act of arrogance.
He stated, “Nnamdi Kanu’s arrogance is on full display here. It seems he has no respect for others, especially his subordinates. Tapping a grown man aggressively like that and yelling at him, who does he think he is that no one should talk while he is talking? Kanu should know that respect is earned, not forced!”
