From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Federal High Court, Umuahia will, on October 27, 2022, give judgment in the matter brought by detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, against the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Attorney General of the Federation, seeking the enforcement of his fundamental human rights.
The judgment date was fixed by Justice Eveline Anyadike, the Presiding Judge, after listening to the adoption of written addressees by Counsel to the applicant, Kanu, and counsel to the defendants.
In the suit, known as extraordinary rendition, Kanu, through his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, is seeking the enforcement of his fundamental human rights which, he said, was abused during his illegal abduction in Kenya in 2021 by agents of the respondents.
Kanu was represented in the matter by lead counsel, Alloy Ejimakor and other lawyers, while the Federal Government and the Attorney General of the Federation were represented by Simon Enoch and A.H. Shuaib.
Kanu’s lawyer, Alloy Ejimakor, told the court that his client’s abduction in Kenya in 2021 was unlawful, illegal and total abuse of his fundamental human rights as enshrined in Article 12 (4) of African Chatter, which is domiciled by Nigeria’s National Assembly.
Ejimakor described Kanu’s abduction in Kenya as total abuse of his fundamental human rights and urged the court to declare Kanu’s abduction and transfer to Nigeria by agents of the respondents as illegal, unlawful and also urged the court to enforce all fundamental human rights of his client.
He pointed out that the respondents have not provided any document to support their reason for abduction of Kanu from Kenya, describing his detention in Nigeria as unlawful and total abuse of his fundamental human rights.
However, counsel to the federal government and the Attorney General of the federation, Enoch urged the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that the same matter had, on January 9, 2022, been decided by Abia State High Court presided by Justice Benson Anya.
This was countered by Kanu’s lawyer who argued that the case earlier decided by Justice Anya of the Abia State High Court was different from the present suit before the Federal High Court, as the one at the State High Court was about invasion of Kanu’s family house in September 2017, while the present case before Federal High Court Umuahia is about the 2021 illegal abduction of Kanu from Kenya by agents of the respondents.
Ejimakor further told the court that his client, Kanu, is presently in terrible health condition, which necessitated that his prayers should be granted immediately.
Tight security was seen around the Federal High Court premises even as some members of IPOB, Jewish Religious Community and members of Nnamdi Kanu family were in court.