Justice James Omotosho on Wednesday ordered security personnel to remove the detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, from the courtroom after he repeatedly raised his voice and disrupted proceedings.
The judge, who had been addressing some of the concerns raised by Kanu, noted that many of the same arguments had been presented before in the same court and already ruled upon. He added that the matter before him had reached its concluding stage and was now awaiting judgment.
On the issue of appeals and a stay of proceedings, Justice Omotosho stressed that the court would not entertain fresh arguments at this point. He explained that the type of bail applicable to such cases did not cover the situation before the court, emphasizing that the hearing had already been concluded.
Kanu disagreed, insisting that he still had the right to file a final written address. The judge advised him to remain calm, but Kanu demanded to be shown where the law permits a final address to be waived.
“You don’t know the law. Show me where it says you can waive the right to a final address—Omotosho, show me the law,” he said, refusing to hand over the microphone despite instructions from the DSS officers.
His continued refusal led the judge to order security operatives to escort him out of the courtroom.
Justice Omotosho remarked that although a defendant has the constitutional right to be present during their trial, the court could proceed without them when their conduct becomes disruptive. He recalled previous instances where Kanu’s behaviour had caused tension, including moments where he allegedly shouted down his own lawyers.
The judge said he had made repeated appeals to Kanu to maintain decorum, but “as usual, he refused to comport himself.”
With that, the court ordered the matter to continue in his absence.
