Biafra/IPOB: Court Fixes Date To Pass Judgement On Nnamdi Kanu’s Suit

It would be recalled that the suit was attended to and concluded on merits on December 10, 2021, before Justice Benson Anya of the High Court of Abia State in Umuahia.

www.tracknews.ng understands that Kanu’s Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor had in the suit prayed the court to declare the military invasion of the IPOB’s leader in September 2017 by soldiers as illegal.

Also in the suit, Kanu’s legal counsel prayed the court to fault Kanu’s re-arrest and alleged torture in Kenya.

The suit was seeking “A DECLARATION that the military invasion of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s home in Abia State in September 2017 by the Nigerian government is illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and amounts to infringement of his fundamental rights to life, dignity of his person, his personal liberty and fair hearing as guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.

“A declaration that the arrest of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in Kenya by agents of the Nigerian government without due process of law is arbitrary, illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and amounts to infringement of his fundamental rights against arbitrary arrest, to his personal liberty and to fair hearing as guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.”

The suit accused the Nigerian government of collaborating with Kenya authority to arrest, detain and torture Nnamdi Kanu.

The suit said Kanu’s torture and detention was “illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and amounts to infringement of his fundamental rights”.

It demanded the court to give a fair hearing on the suit as guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.

“A declaration that the expulsion of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya to Nigeria by the Nigerian government and his consequent detention and planned prosecution in Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015 (Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Nnamdi Kanu) is illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and amount to infringement of his fundamental rights against unlawful expulsion and detention, and to fair hearing, as guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights,” the suit added.

The relief order also urged the court to prevail on the Nigerian government to release the IPOB leader and to restore him to his liberty, and “repatriate him to Britain, his country of domicile and citizenship.”

Ejimakor on Tuesday said for clarity and for the benefit of the media, the general public is informed that the Abia State court will rule on the suit on January 19.

The counsel prayed the court further to compel the Nigerian government to issue an official letter of apology to Kanu for the infringement on his fundamental rights and publication of the said letter of apology in three national dailies.