An Abia High Court sitting in Umuahia on Wednesday awarded N1bn to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, against the Federal Government over the infringement of his Fundamental Human Rights by the Nigerian military.
In a judgment delivered Wednesday morning that lasted for an hour, the presiding judge, Justice Benson Anya said it was wrong for the military to have invaded his home in Afaraukwu, Umuahia on September 10, 2017, which made him flee the country.
Justice Anya also rejected the Nigerian government’s challenge of its jurisdiction to hear Kanu’s fundamental rights suit.
Kanu, through his special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, had initiated the fundamental human rights suit against the Nigerian government.
In the suit, Ejimakor had urged the court to declare the invasion of the residence of the IPOB leader in Abia State in 2017 as unlawful and an infringement of his constitutional right.
He urged the court to declare his re-arrest and torture in Kenya last year as unlawful.
The suit, which Ejimakor filed in August, further asked the court to stop the Nigerian government from prosecuting Kanu, mandating it to release the IPOB leader and tender an apology to Kanu, among others.
But, during today’s proceedings, the Nigerian government challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit.
According to Ejimakor in a tweet, “MNK wins as Abia High Court rejects Nigerian government’s challenge to its jurisdiction to hear Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s fundamental rights suit. Judgment on other issues still in progress.”
