Mazi Nnamdi Kanu: The Juridical Qualifications Of Binta Nyako Doubted; And The Call For Her Recusal Justifiably Undefeated

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu: The Juridical Qualifications Of Binta Nyako Doubted; And The Call For Her Recusal Justifiably Undefeated

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu: The Juridical Qualifications Of Binta Nyako Doubted; And The Call For Her Recusal Justifiably Undefeated

Yesterday was another disgusting display for the Nigeria judiciary at the Federal High Court, Abuja, in the Justice Binta Nyako courtroom. It was 20 May 2024 and the case was Mazi Nnamdi Kanu vs Federal Republic of Nigeria. Many legal minds have come to voice out their disapproval of how His Lordship, Binta Nyako, conducted the judicial business. Not a few are of the opinion that she has shown total lack of basic judicial qualifications or intentionally disobeying an unequivocal Supreme Court pronouncement.

Recall that the Supreme Court in her ruling of 15 December 2023, though lacking boldness and courageousness, condemned the Federal government of Nigeria for sending her army to invade Mazi Nnamdi Kanu home in a bid to eliminate him. The court also determined that the process through which he was brought from Kenya to Nigeria was illegal. It still went as far as admonishing Justice Binta Nyako for revoking Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s bail, insisting that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu did not jump bail since he escaped from being killed.

It is a public record that on 13 October 2022, the Federal Appeals Court sitting in Abuja discharged and acquitted Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and went further to order a discontinuation of his trial in any Nigeria court on the premise that Nigeria government violated an international treaty on extraordinary rendition. The Honorable Justices of the Court of Appeal cited The Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, as officially gazetted by Nigeria government.

It was the same “Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition act” and other relevant constitutional sections that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu quoted copiously while educating Binta Nyako in her dismal judicial outing. Here him: “Anyone or any court coming to try me is committing an act of terrorism”, section 2 subsection 3F of the ‘Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act’ that’s what it says he further stated. He went further to quote “section 12” of Nigeria constitution which says that any Treaty entered into by Nigeria, automatically, becomes a law.

After yesterday’s poor outing, it is widely accepted that either Binta Nyako is not qualified to be on the bench or the Nigeria government is using the criminal case against her husband and son to blackmail her. Either way, she is compromised and conflicted and must recuse herself to salvage whatever image of Nigeria judiciary that is left, if any.

Family Writers Press International