Federal High Court Rejects Kanu’s Allegations of Rights Violations
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a Fundamental Human Rights suit filed by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), against the Federal Government.
Kanu sought N1 billion in damages from the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Department of State Services (DSS), alleging violations of his rights as he claimed that the DSS and its Director-General infringed upon his right to a fair hearing by allegedly obstructing his lawyers from freely interacting with him for his defense in his criminal trial.
After Delivering the judgment, Justice Omotosho stated that Kanu failed to provide substantial evidence to support his claims that his interactions with legal counsel were interfered with or that DSS officials listened in on his discussions with lawyers, thus breaching his right to a fair trial. Meanwhile, the judge further ruled that Kanu did not demonstrate that his lawyers were prohibited from taking notes during their meetings with him or that he was unfairly denied a fair hearing as alleged in his suit.
In response, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Attorney-General, and the DSS argued in a counter affidavit that the suit constituted an abuse of court process. However, the DSS have denied Kanu’s accusations, asserting that he was held securely and allowed visits with his legal representatives under standard security procedures.
