Day Nnamdi Kanu lectured Nigerian judiciary, stole show in court
Below is the drama that happened during the February 10, 2025 trial of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as he insisted that Justice Binta Nyako, had lost jurisdiction to preside over the matter having earlier recused herself from the matter.
Anyway, Justice Nyako later adjourned the case sine die, but Kanu’s boldness to confront injustice has continued to dominate discussion across the country as the viral video of the episode continues to circulate.
Happy reading:
“I want to speak”, ~~~NNAMDI KANU
“Do you want to take over from your lawyer” ~~JUSTICE NYAKO
“Yes, I want to take over.” ~Nnamdi Kanu
*NNAMDI KANU RESPONSE TO THE JUSTICE NYAKO*
“I am in court because of the respect I had for the court, but, the Judge no longer had the jurisdiction to preside over my case following her recusal in September.”—Nnamdi Kanu
“A grown-up man like you who should be in the village and who should be making sure that things are done properly is here subverting the law.”
NNAMDI KANU TO THE PROSECUTING COUNSEL
“I don’t recognise the authority of this court to preside over my case. Everything you said here is meaningless to me.
“Why is it that when it comes to my case, everything is turned upside-down?”
The memo sent by the chief judge returning the case file to the Judge cannot override the enrolled order of the court made on September~~NNAMDI KANU
You are at liberty to appeal the directive of the chief judge~~JUSTICE NYAKO TO NNAMDI KANU
“If the chief judge disagrees, he should appeal the decision.
You cannot preside over this case, not now, not today, not ever. You stand recused and you must leave my case. I don’t need you in my case. You are biased. Tell the chief judge that Nnamdi Kanu said so.
This is not a court of law, this is a shrine to injustice and I will not subject myself to it.”—NNAMDI KANU TO THE JUSTICE NYAKO
“In view of the fact that the defendant has indicated that he would not make a formal application, I apply that your lordship gives us a definite date for trial,” ~~PROSECUTING COUNSEL TO JUSTICE NYAKO
*Because of money they are paying you from the AGF’s office, a grown-up man like you is here supporting evil. The rule of law says you should go on appeal,” ~~~NNAMDI KANU TO THE PROSECUTING COUNSEL
“The same chief justice writing this stupid memo, I have recused him before. He sat on appeal, I took him to NJC and recused him. Why is he insisting on this one? He wants to embarrass your lordship by asking her to sit on this case.”~~NNAMDI KANU
The only decision I can make right now is that in the light of what is happening now in court, I am going to adjourn this case sine die (indefinitely).”—-JUSTICE NYAKO.
Nnamdi Kanu in swift response, replied
“You have no jurisdiction to adjourn anything. None whatsoever. You cannot make an order without jurisdiction. The memo from the chief judge cannot confer jurisdiction upon you,” ~~NNAMDI KANU
The court room was silent for 5 minutes as Nnamdi Kanu’s superior argument threw everybody in total confusion and deep thinking.
What Mazi Nnamdi Kanu said, family narrates:
“Nobody is above the law.
This popular phrase forms the foundation of the legal system in most countries across the globe. We can say that modern democracy could not have existed without it. Absolutely no democratic state currently exists where people are above the law. This is until you meet the country called Nigeria.
“In Nigeria, it has been widely observed that, with just the right amount of money or power, one can bend the law to their advantage. But this is why you have governmental institutions like the judiciary and executive, to respectively interpret and enforce the law equally for/to everyone, thereby protecting the dignity, equity and supremacy of the rule of law. However, what do you do when even the executive and judiciary decide to place themselves above the law?
“A video going viral on the internet about Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s reaction to Justice Binta Nyako’s insistence to continue presiding over the latter’s case has laid bare what everyone already knows: Nigeria does not obey her own laws. How else does one explain the government refusing to obey a court order ordering the release of Nnamdi Kanu? How else does one rationalise the ‘kidnapping’ of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by the Nigerian government, despite the law saying that kidnapping is a crime? How does one justify a judge passing a court order recusing herself from presiding a case, but then deciding to continue presiding over said case regardless?
“There are countless examples of the Nigerian governmental institutions breaking its own laws in order to achieve its own motives, but we IPOB and Biafra supporters are focused on our own injustices. Non-Biafra supporters would look at this and sneer. Some would even call Mazi Nnamdi Kanu insolent for speaking strongly and vociferously against the illegality of Justice Binta Nyako’s handling of the court proceedings. However, I must call on everyone who has seen that video to look beyond this as a Biafra thing. This is about the rule of law. One must understand that governments are made up of people – ordinary people – like you and me. People who seek their own gains. People who would not hesitate to take advantage of the power they have to pursue their personal goals. The rule of law is there to protect the people in government from themselves; but it is also there to protect the common citizen from people in power. No one wants to live in a country where those in power can use the power whichever way they like. Unfortunately, this is the reality for Nigerians.
“This is what Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is kicking against. He is charging the Nigerian government to obey its own laws. And indeed, any patriotic citizen of Nigeria should charge its government to obey the laws of the land. Mazi Kanu’s strong stand against the illegality of the Nigerian court is not only a display of Biafran patriotism, but also a great example of the standards to which Nigerians must hold their government. “Nobody is above the law”. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has taken his stand and everyone who believes in democracy must stand with him, whether or not they are in support of Biafran sovereignty. It would be immoral, illegal, and irresponsible to do otherwise.
By Chinedum Art Michael
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