BREAKING: Court declares proscription of IPOB illegal, awards Eight Billion Naira in Favor of Nnamdi Kanu

 BREAKING: Court declares proscription of IPOB illegal, awards Eight Billion Naira in Favor of Nnamdi Kanu

A Federal High Court sitting in Enugu State, has declared the proscription of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), as a terrorist organization, unlawful and illegal.

It also ruled that the detention and prosecution of Nnamdi Kanu as a member of group is illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional.

Justice A.O. Onovo who delivered the landmark judgement held that self-determination is not a crime and thus cannot be used as a ground to arrest, detain and prosecute Nnamdi Kanu.

Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, Special Counsel to Nnamdi Kanu who confirmed the latest judgement of the court in a statement, said that N8 billion was awarded to Nnamdi Kanu for the physical, mental, emotional, psychological, property and other damages he has suffered.

Part of the statement reads, “Today, I led a team of lawyers to a landmark victory before the High Court of Enugu State in SUIT NO: E/20/2023 filed in January 2023 against the Southeast Governors’ Forum and the FG (Respondents) for their collective executive actions (in 2017) that led to the proscription of IPOB and declaring it a terrorist group in contravention of Section 42 of the Constitution which prohibits discrimination on the basis of ethnicity.

“In a well-considered judgment that lasted for over three hours, the High Court (coram Justice A.O. Onovo) granted the following Reliefs.

“Declared that the practical application of the Terrorism Prevention Act and the executive or administrative action of the Respondents (Southeast Governors Forum and the Federal Government) which directly led to the proscription of IPOB and its listing as a terrorist group, said IPOB being comprised of citizens of Nigeria of the Igbo and other Eastern Nigerian ethnic groups, professing the political opinion of self determination and the consequent arrest, detention and prosecution of the Applicant (MAZI NNAMDI KANU) as a member/leader of said IPOB is illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and amounts to infringement of the Applicant’s fundamental right not to be subjected to any disabilities or restrictions on the basis of his ethnicity as enshrined and guaranteed under Section 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and his fundamental rights as enshrined under Articles 2,3,19 &20 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Enforcement and Ratification) Act.

“Declared that self determination is not a crime and thus cannot be used as a basis to arrest, detain and prosecute the Applicant, MAZI NNAMDI KANU.

“Ordered the Respondents, jointly or severally, to issue official Letter(s) of Apology to the Applicant (MAZI NNAMDI KANU) for the infringement of his said fundamental rights; and publication of said Letter(s) of Apology in three (3) national dailies.

“Ordered the Respondents to, jointly or severally, pay the sum of N8,000,000,000.00 (Eight Billion Naira) to the Applicant (MAZI NNAMDI KANU), being monetary damages claimed by the Applicant against the Respondents jointly and severally for the physical, mental, emotional, psychological, property and other damages suffered by the Applicant as a result of the infringements of his fundamental rights by the Respondents.

“I thank my erudite colleagues in chambers – Barristers Patrick Agazie, Ifeyinwa Nworgu, Mandela Umegborogu, Ozioma Eguzoribe, Edith Chidimma Eze and Obianuju Iloanya.”

Nigerian Judiciary, Military - Architect Of Corruption; Kanu The Way Out

Nigerian Judiciary, Military - Architect Of Corruption; Kanu The Way Out

October 26, 2023 

By Eluwa Chidiebere Chinazu | Biafra Writers

The commons in Nigeria have made several attempts to effect change since independence of Nigeria in 1960, all to no avail. The last of them all is the Obident Movement. Socially and politically, their efforts held no water till date. 

The architects  of corruption in the country have managed to forestall such efforts through the midwifery of the judiciary and the military. While the military moulds them down in certain cases, the judiciary sweeps every hope under the carpet in other cases.

These two agencies do more harm than good to the Nigerian folk. Even before the emergence of the Obident Movement, lots of people have lost hope in the Nigerian project. The squashing of the Obident Movement however buried any modicum of hope left in the people - courtesy of the judiciary. 

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, it now seems, is the only hope of the masses. Although some quarters are yet to grasp the  potency of the Kanu factor to their collective goal, Kanu certainly remains the only weapon left for the common Nigerian to press forward.

Kanu is for justice. An incredible element that common Nigerians can unite for to get what they want. It is simple: demand for his release in the name of justice and see how everything will turn around for the better.

Edited by Nelson Ofokar Yagazie

Published by Charles Opanwa