Kanu Asks Second Judge to Disqualify Self from Trial

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has for the second time filed a motion requesting the judge trying him for treason and felony to disqualify himself from the matter.

Kanu and two others currently being prosecuted by the Federal Government on a six-count treason and felony charge have accused the trial judge, Justice John Tsoho of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja of bias in the manner he has so far presided over the trial. He is therefore asking the judge to disqualify himself from the matter.

The motion, alongside the appearance of a new counsel for the second defendant, Benjamin Madubugwu, however stalled the trial.

At the resumed trial on Monday, prosecution counsel Shuaibu Labaran told the court that he was confronted this morning with the motion clearly framed by the defendants to frustrate the proceeding of this court.

Labaran told Justice Tsoho he would need some time to respond to it.

Although the motion was not moved, the document in court prayed for “an order disqualifying itself from further proceeding in this matter “on the ground of bias against the defendants.

The motion noted that a formal complaint letter had been sent to the National Judicial Council with exhibits marked NJ1 and NJ2 showing concrete evidence of bias in the conduct of the case and other issues that are “inappropriate” to be mentioned in an affidavit

Further details later