Abia State High Court on Wednesday ordered the federal government to pay the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, N1 billion as damages over infringement of his fundamental rights.
The court presided by Justice Benson Anya said the damages to be paid to Kanu were for the invasion of his house.
The court also ruled that the Umuahia High Court has jurisdiction to rule on extradition cases as one of the applications was solely on the status.
The judge stated that the defence counsel did little or nothing to defend the evidence as provided by the plaintiff.
Aloy Ejimakor, lawyer to Nnamdi Kanu in the suit filed on August 27, 2021, sought an order of injunction restraining the Federal Government from taking any further step in prosecuting Kanu in the charge numbered FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015.
The suit also is seeking an order compelling the government to forthwith release Kanu from detention, restore the liberty he enjoyed before his alleged abduction on June 19, 2021, and repatriate him to Britain, where he is a citizen.
The IPOB leader also demanded an apology for the alleged infringement of his fundamental rights, to be published in three national dailies.
The prayers include: “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, the 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.
“A declaration that the torture and detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in Kenya by agents of the Nigerian government is illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and amounts to infringement of his fundamental rights against torture and a fair hearing, 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 (the 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 a fair hearing, as guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights”.
