Why Justice Nyako Should Recuse Herself From Nnamdi Kanu’s Trial – Adeyanju

Speaking exclusively with Daily Post, the human rights activist, pointed out that the judge’s husband had represented and hosted several meetings and conferences within and outside Nigeria.

Adeyanju made the remark while decrying the ruling of Justice Nyako, which rejected Kanu’s application to transfer him from the custody of the Department of State Services, DSS, to the Correctional Centre in Kuje.

Justice Nyako had cited security reasons for the rejection of the application.

However, the convener of Concerned Nigerian, said: “As I said earlier, Kanu may not get justice from Justice Binta Nyako because her husband is a prominent Fulani in this country. He has severally hosted several Fulani meetings both in Nigeria and the subregion in his home in Adamawa.

“So there is bound to be that fiat because we all know that Kanu is against the Fulanis in this country; If I were to be Nyako, I would recuse myself from the trial, knowing fully that people may misconstrue that she may not be just, just like I am now of the opinion that she may not be fair and just in the trial.

“Denying him access to Kuje, knowing fully that they kidnapped him in Kenya in such a manner, points to one fact that he may not actually get justice in her court. Look at what the Supreme Court said in the trial of MKO Abiola vs the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that ‘once the average citizen goes home thinking that the judge is unfair, at that point, the judge recuse him/herself from the trial.’ This is totally how I feel on Justice Nyako’s ruling.

“Naturally, that application should have been granted. If somebody says ‘I don’t feel safe in DSS custody,’ why would you still keep him there? ”