During his last court appearance, Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), made an unusual gesture by apologising to the judiciary.
Many parties have characterised the action as a step towards the long-awaited diplomatic resolution to his captivity.
Particularly for his recent insults on Justice Binta Nyako of the Abuja Federal High Court, Kanu apologised through his attorney before Justice James Omotosho of the Abuja Federal High Court.
Kanu apologised for his attack on Justice Binta Nyako at the court appearance to the Nigerian government’s legal team, which was headed by Adegboyega Awomolo.
Through Kanu Agabi, his new lead counsel, he apologised.
Due to his advocacy for the establishment of the sovereign state of Biafra, Kanu has been on trial for almost ten years.
Kanu made a stir in public court when he asked the judge to recuse herself from his trial in September 2024 while he was standing before Justice Nyako on accusations relating to terrorism.
Kanu interrupted the proceedings from the courthouse dock, declaring that he no longer trusted her and requesting that she quickly disqualify herself.
Kanu had accused Nyako of being biased, saying: “Justice Binta Nyako is abusing her position for her own benefit.” Both her husband and her son are accused of corruption. Additionally, the Nigerian government informed the judge and the court that they would release the husband and son if they found me guilty.
“She was sent to my case by the Nigerian government in order to release or facilitate the path for the husband and son.”
Agabi, however, praised Kanu as a nice man and begged that mistakes be allowed and that they should aim to rescue rather than destroy.
In response to Kanu’s apologies, activist attorney Maduabuchi Idam stated that the defendant would greatly benefit from the apology, which shows weakness in court.
He told The Intercept: “I will, first of all, commend Nnamdi Kanu and his family for bringing Kanu Agabi into his defense. It was a thoughtful act, and I must commend them for that.
“I must tell you that the apology rendered by Agabi on behalf of Nnamdi Kanu to the court is a commendable act; it’s the best way to start his defence considering what happened at the last adjourned date with the previous judge.
“Nnamdi Kanu needs to be clothed with a personality of meekness, a personality that deserves favour from the court, having displayed such an outburst before the previous court, and that is what Agabi has done.
“Nobody is permitted to disrespect the court no matter how intelligent or highly placed in the society you are.
“Having acknowledged that Agabi is a very cerebral legal sage, a man that enjoys the toga of respect from the court – he has done the best by starting off with an apology to the court, it was well deserved and that apology will work in Kanu’s favour, especially with Kanu’s involvement.
“As an astute learned senior advocate who wears an adorable personality where he is prided with respect before the court, in every court in Nigeria, you can know that Agabi was once an Attorney General of the Federation and he’s one of the few still in active practice and enjoys a place of reverence in our courts, so bringing him into his defence was a thoughtful act and I commend him for that.
“The matter is in court, and the demeanor of a defendant before the court matters a lot. Remember that the court is manned and presided over by a human being whose conscience has not been destroyed by the mere fact that he’s a judge.
“So, if the court is presided over by a human being who understands what it means to be respected, of course I can tell you that a nick and a respectable disposition before the court will work in favour of the defendant and yes.”
Kanu didn’t admit guilt or confess crime with an apology
Idam further emphasised that Kanu’s apology did not constitute a confession of criminal activity or an admission of guilt in front of the court.
“The apology is not an admittance, admission, neither is it a confession before the court.
“It does not mean that he has confessed to the crime that he’s being charged with.
“It was an act of reference and respect to the court, giving his personality and outburst which has created an impression around his personality.
“Whether deserving or not, the apology became very necessary, especially before this new judge, so that the judge can approach Kanu with a conception of a character that deserves the compassion of the court.
“If not, with the perceived disrespect meted on the previous judge, this judge being a human can’t shy away and pretend not to know that there was such an outburst before his brother justice by Kanu.
“So it became necessary that such an apology be tendered and Kanu has done well by doing that, he has demonstrated that he’s a learned senior in the bar and has demonstrated a rare and uncommon knowledge of the job that he was drafted to perform,” he added.
Kanu’s continued detention serves no purpose
The IPOB leader’s release was demanded by the activist lawyer, who emphasised that Kanu’s continuing arrest is pointless.
He said: “I have always said that the Nigerian government should kindly consider that the release of Kanu is necessary; they should consider that the continuous detention of Kanu serves no purpose.
“It does not serve the interest of the peace and unity of Nigeria, nor does it serve the interest of anybody or any political interest in Nigeria.
“This young man has suffered. Apart from the fact that he has suffered in detention, the question is – what purpose has his detention served?
“The crisis in the Southeast has tripled and it has no connection with his detention and I can tell you that the Nigerian government will achieve more if Kanu is released than having him in detention because he would be the one to speak to them.”
Kanu’s lawyers before Agabi were emotional
Prior to Agabi’s arrival, Idam also charged that Kanu’s legal team was emotionally invested and never shown objectivity.
He added: “One of the very important reasons I agree that Kanu has done well for bringing Agabi into his defence is that, Kanu’s legal team before now was constituted by lawyers who are hardly dispassionate about this matter.
“They are hardly neutral about his defence, these are lawyers and in their own rights, activists, whose approach to the defence is like Kanu.
“They see themselves in the shoes of Kanu, they are almost emotional like Kanu. So, if you have lawyers like that, it will be difficult to properly defend that client.
“So bringing Kanu Agabi in is a wonderful act which has been done by his defence and that would achieve a positive result, I have no doubt.
“Nobody is happy having his state in disarray; Kanu will never be happy having his people at war, killing each other and destroying their properties.
“The Nigerian government is hereby urged to kindly and graciously release Kanu because it’s no longer useful to have him in detention.”
Kanu’s trial political, Tinubu will release him soon – Ibegbu
Former Ohanaeze Ndigbo Deputy National Publicity Secretary Chuks Ibegbu emphasised that Kanu’s trial is political and calls for a political resolution.
Ibegbu claims that President Bola Tinubu would soon free Kanu.
“There is nothing wrong in his apology. Every soup has a way to lick it; you either lick with your lips or tongue.
“Situations are dynamic. Nothing is fixated, I believe the President will release him soonest,” he told The Intercept.
