Nnamdi Kanu: CJ hints on changing court venue over daunting crowd during trial

Disturbed by the crowd usually witnessed during the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, says there is a move to change the venue of the trial.

The Nigerian government is prosecuting Nnamdi Kanu before Justice Binta Nyako of the Abuja Federal High Court on a 15-count charge bordering on terrorism, treason, secession and leading an illegal group.

His trial paralyses other court activities owing to the mammoth crowd of his followers and security operatives that besieged the court premises. 

Often, security operatives stop other lawyers from gaining access into the court premises during Kanu’s proceedings.

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Speaking on the matter as he played host to the newly elected executives of the Abuja Chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association in his office Tsoho decried the development.

He said, “It’s not really the making of the court. It is something foisted on us, it is security arrangement that causes this problem. So, you find a situation where a trial is coming up involving an individual and a whole lot of communities leave their businesses to besiege the court.

“It is a worrisome development to all of us the courts, counsel and parties.

But you can’t prevent them. So, how to manage it has been challenging for us. We are even trying to think of some solutions. If you observed, for those who were here when the matter came up, but of course, the roads were free because the matter was shifted to late afternoon.

“What will ultimately happen is that, we are exploring the possibility of shifting the venue of the trial. That will be the best way out, otherwise, if the trial continues here, it will interfere with our business. We have 11 courts here but it is only one court that is trying Kanu.

“And anytime the case comes up, the other courts cannot function. It is really not a good development. But I can assure you that we have actually gone far in finding a solution to it.”