The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has vowed to appeal the dismissal of his fundamental rights suit against the Federal Government by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.
IGBERE TV reports that Justice James Omotosho struck out the suit for lacking merit, ruling that Kanu failed to provide evidence to support his claims of violation of his fundamental rights by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Department of State Services (DSS), and its Director General.
However, Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimako, said that they would appeal the judgment.
“We will appeal,” he said.
In the dismissed suit, Kanu alleged that the DSS and its Director General breached his right to a fair hearing by preventing his lawyers from having unhindered interactions with him to prepare for his treason trial. He claimed that DSS officials eavesdropped on his conversations with his lawyers and did not allow them to take notes during pre-trial meetings.
Kanu sought a declaration that the respondents’ actions amounted to a denial of his right to be defended by legal practitioners of his choice. However, Justice Omotosho found his claims unmeritorious due to lack of credible evidence.
Kanu has been on trial since 2015, initially arrested over his secessionist push. He fled the country in 2017 but was rearrested in Kenya and repatriated to Nigeria in 2021, and has been in DSS detention since then.
