In a legal decision on Monday, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, dismissed a fundamental human rights lawsuit brought by Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), against the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Kanu had filed the suit, marked FHC/CS/1633/2023, seeking N1 billion in damages from the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Department of State Services (DSS). He alleged that his rights were violated during his detention, particularly citing obstruction of his legal counsel’s access to him, which he claimed hindered his defense preparation in his ongoing criminal trial.
In his judgment, Justice Omotosho found that Kanu failed to substantiate his allegations with credible evidence. Specifically, the court noted that Kanu did not convincingly demonstrate that the DSS had restricted his lawyers from meeting with him or that officials had eavesdropped on their conversations. “The plaintiff’s claims of interference and restricted access were not supported by sufficient evidence,” the judge stated.
Further details on the implications of this judgment and subsequent legal steps are expected to emerge.
