'I go defend mysef' - Nnamdi Kanu tell court afta lawyers withdraw from case
Ipob leader Nnamdi Kanu tok say e go defend imsef afta im lawyers withdraw from im case.
Kanu confam dis one for court as e wan begin im defence for di terrorism charges Nigeria govment sama am.
As im defence wan begin on Thursday Kanu lead lawyer, Kanu Agabi wey be Senior Advocate of Nigeria say e dey withdraw from di matter.
Oga Agabi say im dey withdraw from di mata along wit oda SANs wey include Onyechi Ikpeazu, Emeka Etiaba, Nunghe Mela Audu, Paul Erokoro, Uchenna Njoku and odas.
Di trial Judge, Justice James Omotosho grant di application of di lawyers.
"Who come be your lawyer", di Judge ask Kanu. Di Ipob leader for im response say "I go defend myself", say im no need any lawyer.
Justice Omotosho den order all di counsels wey bin dey represent Kanu, except di SANs, to leave di courtroom.
Nnamdi Kanu address di court - wetin e tok?
Going forward, Nnamdi Kanu begin address di court, e tok say im dey make oral application to challenge di jurisdiction of di court to try am.
Kanu say di records wey dey for front of di court show say four jurisdictional defects dey for di mata and dem include:
- Di Federal Govment dey in contempt of di Appeal Court. E add say di Appeal Court bin don discharge di trial but dem still keep am for detention for more 14 months bifor di Supreme Court decision wey overturn di decision. "A contemnor no go fit come court to seek any remedy becos pesin wey dey find equity must go wit clean hands," e tok
- Di Act wey dem dey use try am don dey repealed since and so dem no fit try am on dat basis.
- Di prosecution neva allow am get proper consultation wit im lawyers for almost five years wey im don dey for custody. "If no be by your mercy, my Lord, to grant us three hours to hold conference for dis court room, dem for force me to enta my defence for a capital offence witout proper consultation wit my lawyers," Kanu tok.
- Di medical report wey di court bin rely on to declare am fit to stand trial, dey forged. Kanu say di date of di report na 23rd September even though di court bin give di order on 26 September. Im tok say nobody take im blood or urine sample to conduct any test, so dem manufacture di report.
Sake of all dis tins Nnamdi Kanu tell di court to terminate di mata today if e dey possible.
Defendant just dey entertain di court - FG lawyer
Afta Kanu tok finish, Adegboyega Awomolo wey be counsel to di Nigeria govment tell di court say di evri tin wey di defendant tok na just entertainment for di court bicos dem no get any basis for law.
Awomolo say since Kanu don tok say e wan defend imsef, make e enta di witness box and tok all di tins on oath since di business of di day na for di defendant to start im defence.
"If di defendant wan to practice law, make im go school, study law and start to practice, but for now I urge di court to proceed wit di business of di day," Awomolo tok.
For im decision, Justice Omotosho say dem no go entertain any preliminary objections for dis stage of di trial, and say di order of di court for fast-fast hearing of di mata go stand.
E say most of di tins wey di defendant raise, im counsels bin don raise am bifor but di defendant fit raise am again for im final written address, but for now make di defendant enta im defence.
Justice Omotosho add say if Kanu no dey satisfied wit any of di ruling wey im don give bifor, especially di ruling say di court get jurisdiction to hear di mata, make im carry am go Appeal Court.
For dis point, Onyechi Ikpeazu ask for permission to address di court, no be as lawyer to di defendant but as friend of di court.
Ikpeazu beg weda if di mata fit dey adjourned even if until di next day, so dat di defendant go fit gada im thoughts and dey able to start im defence.
Justice Omotosho say na di defendant imsef suppose make di application since na im dey defend imsef.
"I appeal to di defendant to use di opportunity wey di court give am to enta im defense, or wave am if e want," di judge tok.
Nnamdi Kanu say im neva get enof time to prepare for im defence, especially since dis na trial wey involve capital punishment.
E say e go also need time to gada di pipo wey e bin list as im witnesses.
Afta di tok, Justice Omotosho adjourn di mata till Friday 24 October, 2025 for Kanu to start im defence.
We wish am well - Kanu lawyers
Afta di court hearing, Nnamdi Kanu lawyers Kanu Agabi and Onyechi Ikpeazu tok to tori pipo about wetin happen for court.
Dem confirm say dia hand no dey di mata again bicos Kanu don ask dem to witdraw.
"Nnamdi don decide to conduct im defence by imsef. E get di right to do so, we respect dat decision, and we wish am well going forward," Agabi tok.
Kanu call Malami, Buratai as witness
Meanwhile, tori be say Nnamdi Kanu include di names of plenty former and serving govment officials as witnesses for im defence.
Dem include di former Attorney General of di Federation, Abubakar Malami; di former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, Former Minister of Defence Theophilus Danjuma, sitting guvnors of Lagos and Imo States, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Hope Uzodinma, among odas.
Wen our tori pesin ask one of im lawyers why di Ipob leader dey name dis govment pipo as im witness, e say na bicos dem dey directly connected wit di matter and dia name bin don already come up wen di prosecution dey do dia case.
For instance, dis Kanu lawyer wey no wan make we tok im name say, according to one of di prosetion witnesses, na Abubakar Malami write petition to di DSS to tell dem make dem investigate Nnamdi Kanu.
Also, according to lawyer, na Buratai be di Chief of Army Staff in 2017 wen sojas bin invade Nnamdi Kanu home for Afaraukwu, Umuahia Abia State, wey make am run for im life, only for govment to accuse am say e jump bail.
Our tori pesin also recall say one of di videos wey di Nigeria govment bin tender for court as evidence against Kanu, na wia retired General Danjuma dey allege say Nigeria security forces dey collude wit terrorists to dey attack innocent pipo.
Anoda video wey bin dey admitted in evidence during di prosecution case na wia Hope Uzodinma tok say di killings wey bin dey happun for di State no be Ipob dey cause am but na politicians.
Di court bin also admit in evidence, di report of di Lagos State panel of inquiry into di End SARS protest. Na Kanu lawyers bin tender dis report during cross examination as dem tok say e no mention Ipob or Nnamdi Kanu as di cause of di protest.
E neva dey clear weda dis pipo go show for court to give witness, but we go dey bring you updates to dis tori as dem dey happun.
