Kanu: Case Adjourned as FG Snubs Court

By Uche Mbah

A High Court in Abia state has been forced to adjourn the hearing in the case involving the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and the Federal Government of Nigeria and others to October 17.

IPOB, has been proscribed and declared a Terrorist Organisation by the FG. This designation, however, has not been recognized by the International Community. In Nigeria too, many are asking the rationale behind the declaration of IPOB as a Terrorist Organisation when the murderous Bandits who are kidnapping pupils and children in hundreds, killing hundreds and shooting down Military Aircraft has not been designed a Terrorist Organisation.

Kanu, through his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, on September 7, 2021, had filed a case against the respondents, seeking the award of N5bn as damages to him for the breach of his fundamental human rights inflicted on him in the 2017 extrajudicial attempt on his life, his escape to exile, his abduction in Kenya, and his extradition to Nigeria.

The vacation judge, Justice K. C. J. Okereke, Tuesday, adjourned the case as the Federal Government of Nigeria and five other respondents appear to deliberately delay the filing of their responses to the suit.

The respondents are the Federal Government of Nigeria (1st), Attorney General of the Federation (2nd), Chief of Army Staff (3rd), Inspector General of Police (5th), Director General, State Security Services (7th), and three others.

His prayers are that his torture, arrest, and detention are unconstitutional, while the military invasion of his home and his abduction from Kenya contravene the Law.

Recall that in 2017, the Military, under the guise of Operation Python Dance, invaded Kanu’s country home at Afaraukwu, Abia state, killing some IPOB members and his dog. He, however, escaped to the UK.

But the Federal Government, in collaboration with Kenyan Government, abducted and brought him back to Nigeria and into the custody of the Department of State Security, DSS.

Only the DSS in Abuja and Umuahia have filed their responses, though it was filed out of time. They, however, were absent in Court, while other respondents failed to file their defense. The Judge, therefore, adjourned the case to October 17 to give others enough time to file their defense.

According to the Judge, Kanu is entitled to specified reliefs against any party that next fails to respond to the suit.

Last week, a High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, granted the sum of N20b to Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Igboho, against the FG for an invasion of his home.

The FG through the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, is appealing the judgement.