Nnamdi Kanu has done away with his legal team and would be defending himself on March 21, 2025 when his prolonged trial resumes at a Federal High Court Abuja presided over by Justice James Omotosho.
The new trial judge was assigned to Kanu’s case after the former trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako lost the confidence of the Biafra activist. Kanu had stood his ground, saying that he would no longer submit to trial before Nyako having earlier recused herself.
Kanu’s decision to defend himself was made known Tuesday March 18 by Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the younger brother of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB), in a statement made available to the media.
He said that Kanu “would be taking the bold step of defending himself in court” and would no longer sit by and allow his legal team to argue his case in the treason trial instituted against him by the federal government since 2023.
“This development signals a critical juncture in this case that has already exposed deep-seated concerns about the Nigerian judiciary’s handling of matters tied to the legitimate agitation for Biafra self-determination,” he said.
The family spokesman explained that “Onyendu’s shift to self-defense underscores our distrust in a system perceived to be stacked against us and the cause he champions”.
According to him, Kanu’s decision to do away with lawyers was intentional as “the absence of traditional legal representation will dismantle the usual, ‘as my lord pleases’ constraints that govern judicial proceedings in Nigeria”.
Emmanuel noted that the usual over indulgence of judges by lawyers “has for decades allowed the courts to brazenly subvert the cause of justice under a cloak of deference that shield rather than expose injustice”.
He stated that by defending himself in court, “the very foundations of the institutional bias that has long plagued (Kanu’s trial) will be laid bare for the world to see”.
“This decision by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu comes on the heels of successfully forcing the recusal of Justice Binta Nyako that brazenly defied the Supreme Court of Nigeria through her delective implementation of determination contained in their judgement,” he said.
Emmanuel regretted that the recused Justice Nyako “was hell-bent on convicting a person for exercising a right that the laws of Nigeria stated unambiguously that he could (enjoy such right)”.
He noted that the handling of Kanu’s case by the federal government “has been marred by substantiable prejudice and unfairness from day one”, adding that his brother has lost faith in the Nigeria’s judicial system.
However, Prince Emmanuel noted that the Kanu’s resumed trial “places an immense burden on Justice Omotosho to uphold the principles of fair hearing, fair trial, and the rule of law – principles that have too often been undermined in this politically charged sham trial”.
“The world is watching. Any failure by Justice Omotosho to ensure justice is not only done but seen to be done will further erode confidence in a judiciary already criticized for its selective application of the law.
“The stakes could not be higher, and the implications of this trial extend far beyond the courtroom,” he said.