Court adjourns Kanu’s N5bn suit against FG to October 7
[From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia]
An Umuahia High Court presided over by Justice KCJ Okereke, Tuesday, adjourned the suit brought by the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi.Nnamdi Kanu, against the federal government.
In the suit filed by the IPOB leader’s special counsel, Barr. Aloy Ejimakor, on August 27, 2021, Kanu is asking the court to issue an ex parte interim order for his release to enable him to seek medical attention and as well, order the federal government to pay him N5 billion for infringements on his fundamental human rights, among others reliefs.
The judge did not grant the ex parts order but it granted that the defendants be placed on notice and served through substituted means. At Tuesday’s hearing, Barrister Ejimakor appeared for Kanu in the company of several lawyers, two of whom were introduced as Barristers Patrick Agazie and Wilson Kalu.
When the suit came up for hearing Tuesday, Justice Okereke adjourned the matter to October 7, 2021, on the grounds that in about 10 days, he would be ending his vacation job and head back to his station at Ohafia.
He said he would take the case file back to the Chief Judge to reassign the case to a regular judge who would handle it.
“When the case started. , lawyers were on annual vacation. I was brought from Ohafia to work as a vacation judge.
Now, it is only 10 days to the end of the annual vacation which means that I will return to Ohafia from where I was brought to this place.
“I will therefore return the case file to the State Chief Judge to reassign it to the Judge who will handle it,” Justice Okereke said, and adjourned the matter to October 7, 2021.
The suit was heard amidst tight security, as roads leading to Umuahia High Court were blocked and heavily armed security operatives were deployed.to.the court premises and environ, as well as along the roads.
The security personnel restricted access to the court room as only very few persons were allowed in.
Giving an update after the court session. Ejimakor said:
At today’s hearing, it emerged that out of the eight respondents, only two – the DSS in Abuja and Umuahia – have filed their reply to the Suit but their processes were filed out of time. Their Counsel, Ms Odukwe, was in court.
Nothing was received from the other six respondents, which included the Federal government
“It also emerged that an apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, the Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), has filed an application seeking leave of the Court to file an amicus (friend of the court) brief in support of Kanu. ADF is led by Emeritus Professor, Uzodimma Nwala, and the application was brought by its counsel, Max Ozoaka.”
Ejimakor also reported that “in making his ruling for adjournment of the matter, the Judge noted that Kanu shall be entitled to certain reliefs against any party that fails to timely respond to the Suit.”
