A mild drama ensued on Tuesday at the resumption of the trial of the leader of the indigenous people of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, when the presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho, barred Kanu’s sister-in-law for three sittings.
Favour Kanu, identified as the sister-in-law of Nnamdi Kanu, was accused of unlawfully recording court proceedings during an earlier session and allegedly sharing restricted content online.
Justice Omotosho recalled that he had previously issued a warning to Favour and had chosen not to hold her in contempt at the time.
Kanu’s lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Kanu Agabi, pleaded on her behalf, referencing the Bible and acknowledging that she owed the court an apology.
When addressed in court, Favour claimed she was unaware that the session was still ongoing and said she had stopped recording immediately after being warned. “I didn’t know the court was in session. Once you cautioned me, I stopped because it was a livestream,” she explained.
After hearing both sides, Justice Omotosho ruled that Favour would be exempt from attending the next three court sittings. He also emphasized the importance of maintaining order and respecting court procedures, adding that justice must be pursued following due process.
