Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has thanked the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, for reassigning his case to a new judge. The decision comes after Kanu raised concerns about bias in his trial before Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court.

In a statement released on Saturday by his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu expressed gratitude to the CJN and the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, John Tsoho, for acting on his request to transfer the case. He also thanked the public for their support in demanding a fair reassignment of the trial.

Kanu’s legal team confirmed that they had received two letters from the CJN and Tsoho, notifying them of the case’s transfer to another judge. This development follows Kanu’s earlier complaint about Nyako’s refusal to recuse herself from the trial, which he claimed was marred by bias.

During a court session on February 10, Kanu had openly criticized Nyako, accusing her of partiality and insisting that she step down from presiding over his case. His legal team argued that the proceedings under her oversight posed a threat to Kanu’s constitutional rights, including his entitlement to a fair and speedy trial.

Ejimakor stated, “Nnamdi Kanu instructed the legal team to publicly convey his sincere gratitude to the Chief Justice of Nigeria for her sound administrative discretion and the promptness with which she responded to our request. He also expressed profound appreciation to members of the public who supported our call for the case to be reassigned, as the law demands.”

The lawyer emphasized that Kanu has always been prepared to face trial, confident in his innocence. However, the events of the past six months—since September 2024, when the recusal issue arose—had raised serious concerns about the fairness of the proceedings. Ejimakor added, “We were compelled to take extraordinary measures to ensure that his case is properly reassigned and conducted in accordance with the law.”

With the case now reassigned, Kanu and his legal team are preparing to focus on building a robust defense. The development marks a significant step in addressing concerns over judicial fairness in the high-profile trial.