On Wednesday, Nnamdi Kanu’s family, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), raised concerns about the terrorism charges brought against him, instead of treason.
Kanu’s younger brother, Kanunta, expressed bewilderment at the shift in charges, criticizing the judicial system in Nigeria for not adhering to the rule of law.
In a statement on X, he questioned the rationale behind the sudden change from treason to terrorism: “What is the purpose of ‘disclosure’ in court processes in the Nigerian judiciary? It is very laughable that the zoological Republic of Nigeria and its judges have failed to stick to this rule of law.”
The development came after Justice Binta Nyako of the Abuja Federal High Court instructed Kanu to either proceed with the trial or face an indefinite adjournment.
Justice Nyako’s directive stemmed from the persistent claims by Kanu’s lead counsel that his client was unprepared for the trial.
Before the trial could start, Kanu had outlined several conditions that the government must fulfill, including his transfer from DSS custody to house arrest, reinstatement of his revoked bail, and unrestricted access to legal counsel, family, and medical support.
Despite Justice Nyako scheduling May 20 for rulings on two new applications made by Kanu, the defendant strongly opposed the commencement of the trial.
Justice Nyako pushed for progress in the trial today, but Kanu adamantly refused to proceed, leading to a standoff.
Following the heated exchange, Justice Nyako temporarily halted proceedings to give Kanu the option to either start the trial immediately or delay it indefinitely.