Court again adjourns hearing on Kanu’s N5bn rights violation suit against FG

Presiding Judge at the Umuahia High Court, Friday, again adjourned hearing on the suit filed by detained leader of pro-succession group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu seeking N5 billion as claims from the Federal Government and its agencies over abuse of his human rights.

This is the third in the series of adjournments in the suit fled before the court by the detained activist.

Justice Benson Anya of the Abia State High Court sitting in Umuahia also issued an order restraining security agencies from deploying heavy personnel to the court premises whenever the case of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, is heard before the court.

The judge gave the order at the resumed hearing of Kanu’s human rights lawsuit against the Federal Government and seven others, which was filed by his special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor.

According to Ejimakor, the suit filed on September 7, this year was targeted at challenging the pro-Biafra separatist agitator’s abduction in Kenya and his extraordinary rendition to Nigeria.

Other legal representatives in court alongside Ejimakor were Barristers Patrick Agazie and Max Ozoaka of Alaigbo Development Foundation.

“The security agents were out in strength and blocked all the entry points to the Court house, allowing only court workers, judges, lawyers and a few media people to get through.

“It will be recalled that at the two previous hearings of the matter, there was also a sizable number of security agents deployed at the perimeters and premises of the Court, including a large contingent of soldiers.

“In making the order, the judge noted that he saw no necessity for the deployment of such a high number of security agents to the court, stating that in the future if security agents saw the need to deploy to the court, they should apply to the court for permission to do that,” a statement by Ejimakor, read, Friday.

The case was also adjourned by the court on December 10.

“The matter was adjourned to 10th December for the adoption of processes and a hearing on the substantive application seeking Kanu’s release from detention and his repatriation to Britain. The early date was insisted on by Kanu’s lawyer, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, who argued that fundamental rights are special cases that must be concluded on time, especially in this instance where Kanu has been in detention since June this year,” the statement added.

It would be recalled that at the initial hearing of this matter on September 21, 2021, the vacation judge had made a ruling transferring the case to the Chief Judge of Abia State High Court for assignment.

The matter came up for hearing on November 2, at the High Court in Umuahia, where Kanu’s counsel decried the frequent adjournments on the matter.

Speaking through one of his lawyers, Aloy Ejimakor who also filed the suit on his behalf at Abia State High Court, Kanu said he was dissatisfied with the adjournment.

“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s human rights Suit which was set for today (2nd Nov) has been adjourned to 19th November by Abia High Court.

“I’m saddened by this untoward development over a Suit that seeks the unconditional release of Kanu from his illegal detention,” Ejimakor wrote via his known twitter account.

In the suit slated for hearing, Tuesday, November 2, 2021, Kanu is accusing the Federal Government of grossly violating his fundamental human rights and is seeking among other reliefs, an order of the Court for his interim release to enable him seek medical attention as well as an order of the court awarding him N5 billion against the Federal Government.

The suit, filed at an Umuahia High Court, was slated for hearing Tuesday, but was adjourned to November 19, 2021.

The lawyer had, on August 27, 2021, filed the case, demanding that the Federal Government return Kanu to Kenya where he was “abducted” and also demanded N5 billion from the government over alleged gross violation of Kanu’s fundamental rights.