Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu returned to court yesterday for his treason trial before a new Federal High Court judge, Justice James Omotosho, amid fresh developments surrounding his conduct in previous proceedings.
Notably, Kanu offered an apology for his verbal attack on Justice Binta Nyako following the February 10 incident.
Kanu, now re-arraigned on a seven-count amended treason charge, acknowledged that his earlier actions were driven by anger and admitted that his outburst against Justice Nyako was unjust.
During the proceedings, his new lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN)—a former Attorney General of the Federation and Justice Minister—read a prepared statement in which he tendered the apology on Kanu’s behalf. He stated:
“That is why we are urged not to sail in a storm. The defendant in this case, Nnamdi Kanu, was angry.
“He has been angry for a long time and therefore he should not have spoken when he was angry.
“But he did. And he said the wrong things. He attacked the court. He attacked the prosecutor. He attacked his own lawyers.
“For that reason, he has authorised me to apologise on his behalf.
“He is sorry for his attacks on the judge, on the prosecutor and on his defence team.
“Firstly, I apologise to the Hon. Justice Binta Nyako. She is one of our best and most respected judges. She did not deserve the attacks upon her.
“They were unjustified.
“We apologise to Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, Chairman of the Body of Benchers and leader of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria in Abuja.
“Chief Awomolo has since distinguished himself by his humility, his dedication to the profession.
“He deserves our highest respect.”
Agabi continued, praising the resilience of Kanu’s former legal team:
“It is a credit to the members of that team that they still agree to defend him.
“It is clear from all that has transpired that he acted in anger.
“He spared no one. But by behaving the way he did, he imperiled himself more than any other person.
“I appeal to all those he offended to forgive him.
“We cannot all be of one mind. I respect the fact that when he felt that he had cause to disagree, his courage did not fail him to take a stand.
“And I respect the fact that when the government felt that he had exceeded the bounds of law, measures were taken to correct him.
“Like all men and women, he is not perfect. He holds himself out as representing the cause of the Igbos.
“On my part, I see the Igbos as a people who are irrepressible. They are a forward looking, hardworking and intelligent people.
“They are a very resilient people. They are an adventurous and fearless people.
“Who can oppress such a people? There are, in the nation, communities that can be described as oppressed, but surely not the Igbos.
“The Igbos are a people who, even now, are rendering a good account of the talents that God gave them.
“They have never wallowed in self-pity. There is urgent need to plead the cause of the oppressed in this country.
“A strong and fearless voice such as Nnamdi Kanu’s will aid that cause. And if he does so, that is what will truly immortalise him and exalt the name of the Lord and serve the cause of the unity of our country.
“I commend to us all the example of Col. Fajuyi, a Yoruba man, who laid down his life for Gen. Aguiyi Ironsi, an Igbo man.
“These are the kinds of men and women that the nation shall remember and immortalise.”
Agabi stressed that the time has come for peace and unity:
“We can and must make peace. The nation is rife with misgivings. There will always be misgivings.
“A time will never come when, as a nation, we shall all be of one mind.
“Whatever our misgivings, therefore, whether on the part of the government or the citizens, we must make allowance for error and proceed with prayer for forgiveness, just in case we may be wrong.
“In resolving our differences therefore, we must strive to save and not to destroy. Let us employ methods of peace and non-violence to resolve our differences.
“We must unite. Whether we are Christians or Muslims, whether we come from the east or the west, the north or the south, we must never lose sight of the fact that we are all children of God and citizens of one nation.
“We must reach out to one another across state and religious lines. We must forget the past and forge a new nation of peace, founded on truth and justice.
“The Nigeria of my dream is that in which Nigerians of whatever religion or tribe, whatever their states of origin, will hold high offices in states other than their own.”
“We must all work ceaselessly for peace and unity. No price is too great to be paid for peace.
“We are never going to have peace until we are willing to go the extra mile, to turn the other cheek and to add our coat when our cloak is taken.
“We should not lose sight of the supreme price that the Son of God Himself paid that we may have the peace that we are now dissipating.
“As he took our burdens upon himself in order that we may be reconciled to God, so we must be willing to take upon ourselves the burdens of one another so that together we can build a nation of righteousness and peace.”
After Kanu’s lead counsel finished, prosecuting lawyer Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) indicated readiness for trial and requested a short adjournment to allow the prosecution to gather its witnesses.
The court granted this request, scheduling the commencement of the trial for April 29, 2025.
Earlier in the day, during initial proceedings, Kanu had demanded that Justice Nyako recuse herself from the case, accusing her of failing to abide by a Supreme Court decision.
He reportedly exclaimed, “my lord, I have no confidence in this court anymore and I ask you to recuse yourself because you did not abide by the decision of the Supreme Court. I can understand it if the DSS refuse to obey a court order, but for this court to refuse to obey an order of the Supreme Court is regrettable. I am asking you to recuse yourself from this case.”
However, Awomolo countered that the Supreme Court had ordered that Kanu be tried on the remaining seven counts, urging the judge to disregard the request as “an incompetent observation.”
At one point, Kanu stood up and produced a document, claiming it was the subsisting judgment of the Supreme Court, and read a passage stating that the trial court’s actions “rendered the impartiality of the judge suspect.”
He then asserted, “But my lord, you know that I love you. It is just that this court is allowing the prosecution to railroad me into a trial that is at variance with every provision of the Constitution.”
Shortly afterward, Justice Nyako expressed her displeasure with his conduct and announced her decision to withdraw, stating, “I hereby recuse myself and remit the case file back to the Chief Judge.”
The Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho, later returned the file with instructions for a formal proceeding to decide whether she would withdraw completely.
