A federal high court in Umuahia, Abia state, has fixed
October 27 for judgment in a fundamental human rights suit filed by Nnamdi
Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), against the federal
government.
In the suit filed through his counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu
is challenging his extradition from Kenya by the “agents of the federal
government”.
Kanu alleged that he was kidnapped from Kenya and brought
back to Nigeria to stand trial.
Evelyn Anyadike, the presiding judge, fixed the date for
judgment after lawyers in the suit adopted their final written addresses at the
court session on Tuesday.
Simon Enoch, counsel from the federal ministry of justice,
in adopting his written addresses, prayed the court to dismiss the suit on the
grounds that it is an abuse of court process.
He said an Abia state high court had already determined a
similar case and that Kanu had violated his bail conditions prior to his re-arrest
in Kenya.
However, Ejimakor submitted that in contrast to the current
lawsuit, the case resolved by the Abia high court, which was decided in Kanu’s
favour, focused primarily on the 2017 military raid on Kanu’s home.
He argued that the federal government should be required to
show the legal document or authority that served as the foundation for the
“abduction or extraordinary rendition of Kanu”.
“My client remains an unlawfully expelled individual, and
cannot be subjected to any trial because he was unlawfully renditioned,” the
lawyer said.
He also said the United Nations commission on human rights
had already directed the Nigerian authorities to unconditionally release Kanu,
and compensate him for the violation of fundamental human rights.
The lawyer also told the court that Kanu’s health condition
was deteriorating and he urgently needed the attention of his personal
physician.
Among several reliefs sought, Kanu is asking for “an order
mandating and compelling the respondents to pay the sum of N25,000,000,000.00
(Twenty-Five Billion Naira) to the applicant, being monetary damages claimed by
the applicant against the respondents jointly and severally for the physical,
mental, emotional, psychological, property and other damages suffered by the
applicant as a result of the infringements of applicant’s fundamental rights by
the respondents”.
An order is also sought to halt Kanu’s prosecution and
restore him to the status quo before his rendition on June 19, 2021.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com