The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has expressed his defiance in the face of prolonged detention by the Nigerian Government.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Kanu stated that an additional year in detention won’t break him, saying “This is my fourth year in solemn confinement in detention. The fifth year won’t kill me”.
Kanu’s trial resumed amidst his dissatisfaction with the court’s refusal to abide by the Supreme Court’s determination on his request for bail. He accused the court of cherry-picking parts of the Supreme Court judgment, insisting that it should be implemented in its entirety.
The IPOB leader emphasized that he’s not opposed to a trial, maintaining his innocence, but stressed that the alleged violations of the Nigerian Constitution and Supreme Court judgment by the court necessitate its halt.
He said, “I am surprised that a high court refused to abide by the determination of the Supreme judgment… I am not against any trial after all I am innocent. They have nothing against me, but there cannot be any trial when the key section of the Constitution and a key section of the Supreme Court judgment have been violated by a court of law”.
At the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, Justice Binta Nyako announced her decision to withdraw from the ongoing trial of Nnamdi Kanu.
Premium Politics reported that the move came after Kanu openly requested that the judge recuse herself, citing her refusal to comply with Supreme Court directives.
Kanu’s arrest in June 2021 and subsequent detention by the Department of State Security Service have sparked widespread calls for his release.
His case has been marked by controversy, with the Nigerian government regarding IPOB as a terrorist organization.
