Court adjourns Kanu’s N1bn suit against Nigerian govt to March 18

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, adjourned a fresh N1 billion suit filed by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, against the Federal Government till March 18.

The judge had on January 8 fixed the hearing for today (Monday) when no lawyer represented Kanu in court.

At the resumed hearing, the defence counsel, I.I. Hassan, told the court that they were yet to be served with processes in the matter.

But Kanu’s lawyer, Alloy Ejimakor, said everything needed for the service of their processes on the defence had been perfected.

He wondered why the originating motion and other applications were yet to be served on the defence by the bailiff.

Justice Omotosho, thereafter, adjourned the matter till March 18 for the plaintiff to serve the defence in the suit.

Kanu had in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1633/2023 demanded compensation for the alleged breach of his rights while in detention of the Department of State Services (DSS).

READ ALSO: Kanu continues quest for freedom, files fresh application for bail

In the originating motion filed on December 4, 2023, the IPOB leader also listed the Attorney-General of the Federation, Department of State Service (DSS) and its Director-General as respondents.

In the motion, the activists sought “a declaration that the respondents’ act of forcible seizure and photocopying of confidential legal documents pertaining to facilitating the preparation of his defence which were brought to him at the respondents’ detention facility by his lawyers, amounted to denial of his rights to be defended by legal practitioners of his own choice.”

He described the acts as illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and constituted an infringement of his fundamental right to fair hearing as enshrined and guaranteed under Section 36(6)(b) & (c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Article 7(1)(c) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

Kanu, therefore, sought an order of injunction restraining and prohibiting the respondents from their act of forcible seizure and photocopying of confidential legal documents brought to him at the detention facility by his lawyers, among other reliefs.

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