A claim has been circulating on Facebook and X (twitter) stating that Justice Binta Nyako, a Judge of the Federal high court of Nigeria who has been presiding over Nnamdi Kanu’s case, described him as ‘exceptionally intelligent, stubborn and Legally astute”.
The claim, which was first posted by a X user, had stated that the judge said Kanu possesses an impressive understanding of the law, surpassing even some legal professionals.
The post reads:
“Justice Binta Nyako Describes Nnamdi Kanu as Exceptionally Intelligent, Stubborn and Legally Astute.
In a striking revelation, Justice Binta Nyako has described Nnamdi Kanu as one of the most stubborn individuals she has ever encountered in her judicial career. According to the judge, Kanu possesses an impressive understanding of the law, surpassing even some legal professionals.
Defeating that man requires a higher reality,” she reportedly stated, emphasizing the complexity of handling his case.
Justice Nyako further disclosed that recusing herself from Kanu’s trial stands as her greatest personal achievement on the bench”.
The claim was made following the recusal of Justice Nyako from the case of the Nnamdi Kanu.
The post could also be seen here, here, here and here.
Judicial History of Justice Nyako and Nnamdi Kanu
Justice Binta Nyako has been the presiding judge over the trial of the IPOB leader since 2016 where he was initially been charged on a 15 count charges before been reduced to a seven count terrorism charges. However, on 24 September 2024 during a court hearing, Nnamdi Kanu requested that Justice Nyako be recused from his case on the basis that she was been biased and the Judge withdrawed from the case.
The case was then taken to the chief Judge of the Federal High Court Justice John Tsoho who reassigned the case back to Justice Nyako while directing Kanu to file a formal request to be reassigned to another judge.
During the court hearing on February 10 2025, Kanu, not satisfied with Judge Nyako presiding over his case despite initial withdrawal from the case, insisted that he would not be tried by the judge because there was a breach of judicial oath.
In a Video circulating online, he made some allegations against the judge and the Nigerian judicial system.
Verification
To verify this claim, a systematic fact-checking process was undertaken, involving tracing the claim’s origin, analyzing credible news reports, and analyzing court reports by Kanu’s lawyer.
It was discovered the post was shared mostly by people/groups who are linked to IPOB/biafra agitation. Previous activities of such groups have shown support for the biafra movement by sharing updates and news about the movement. A recent post on X from one of the pages shows a planned protest for the Biafra remembrance day, another described himself as one of the Pioneers of the movement.
A review of newspaper articles from September 24, 2024 to date of publication of this article didn’t produce any news report to substantiate the claim.
Major Nigerian outlets such as Vanguard, The Punch, The Guardian Nigeria, and Premium Times, which extensively covered Kanu’s trial and Nyako’s recusal on September 24, 2024, contain no record of her making such a statement.
All news regarding Nnamdi Kanu’s case did not have any report of Justice Nyako making this claim either in written or video format.
Also, going through the X (formerly Twitter) page of the IPOB leader’s lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, who uses his account to share progress updates on the case, shows nothing of such on his page. Ejimakor, an active commentator on Kanu’s legal battles, frequently posts court updates and statements, yet a search of his posts from September 2024 to March 18, 2025, reveals no mention of Nyako describing Kanu as “exceptionally intelligent, stubborn, and legally astute.” This absence is notable, as Ejimakor would likely highlight such a remark if it had occurred, given its potential significance to Kanu’s defense narrative.
Conclusion
The claim is a false one without any authentic source tied to a news report or even a video recording.
Despite extensive searches across reputable media, and statements from key figures like Kanu’s counsel, no evidence supports the assertion that Justice Binta Nyako made this statement.
Fact-checking the claim that Justice Binta Nyako described Nnamdi Kanu as “exceptionally intelligent, stubborn, and legally astute” is crucial to prevent misinformation from influencing public opinion, undermining judicial credibility, distorting legal proceedings, and escalating tensions in Nigeria’s southeast, while ensuring historical accuracy and maintaining a factual basis for discourse around this polarizing case.
It is important to debunk this claim because there has been prior accusations by Nnamdi Kanu of the Judge being biased towards him which led him to request for her recusal from his case in September 2024.
The judge has since been rescued from his case and he has been assigned to another judge.
This verification has been produced with support from BO Foundation for Inclusive Media (BOFIM) and WITNESS.