Court adjourns hearing on case seeking Biafra Referendum

A suit filed by the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) seeking a referendum to determine the fate of Biafra and other self-determination agitations has been adjourned for hearing by the Federal High Court in Abuja till January 20, 2022.

Addressing newsmen on Monday after the adjournment, the spokesperson of the CNG, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, explained that the court could not sit and the suit was subsequently adjourned to 20th January, 2022.

Recall that the group had in June, sued the National Assembly, and the Attorney General, pleading with the court to compel the defendants to halt the ongoing constitutional review exercise and in its place, conduct a referendum to determine what constitutes Nigeria and who populates it.

The case was adjourned after the court presided by Justice Inyang Ekpo could not sit due to an official assignment.

Suleiman had argued that instead of constitutional review, the defendants should immediately provide a framework for the actualization of agitators’ demand on self-determination.

According to him: “What we are doing is to save the country, ourselves and the future of the country because these peoples are becoming violent already.

Read also: Arewa youths take sides with IPOB, insist on Biafra referendum

“And most of the people engaged in this activity are below 50. So, if we allow our leaders of today to go and leave us with these people in this situation, there may be another bloodshed or civil war. That’s what we want to avoid, which is why we come to the court to interpret the situation.

“One of the issues for determination in the substantive suit has to do with the legal obligation of the 2nd – 4th defendants/Respondents to provide a framework that will pave the way for the self-determination of the South-eastern states and any other enclave that wants to go so as to leave the geographical entity called Nigeria before any further step is taken to review the Constitution.”

The suit, filed by the plaintiffs and leaders of the group, Nastura Ashir Shariff, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, Balarabe Rufa’i and Aminu Adam, joined the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and the National Assembly as defendants.

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