Court orders FG to pay Nnamdi Kanu N1bn damages

Justice Benson Anya of the Abia State High Court has ordered the federal government to pay the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, N1billion for infringement of his fundamental rights.

The court said the damages to be paid to Kanu were for the invasion of his house.

court also ruled that it had jurisdiction to rule on extradition cases as one of the applications was solely on the status.

The judge stated that the defence counsel did little or nothing to defend the evidence as provided by the plaintiff.

Aloy Ejimakor, lawyer to Kanu, in the suit filed on August 27 had sought an order of injunction restraining the federal government from taking any further step in prosecuting Kanu in the charge numbered FHC/ ABJ/CR/383/2015.

The suit also is seeking an order compelling the government to forthwith release Kanu from detention, restore the liberty he enjoyed before his alleged abduction on June 19 from Kenya, and repatriate him to Britain, where is he is a citizen.

Kanu also demanded an apology for the alleged infringement of his fundamental rights, to be published in three national dailies.

He also sought, among others, a declaration that his expulsion from Kenya to Nigeria by the Nigerian government and his consequent detention and planned prosecution is illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and amount to infringement of his fundamental rights against unlawful expulsion and detention, and to a fair hearing, as guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights”.

Meanwhile, Kanu has pleaded not guilty to charges of treasonable felony and terrorism in amended 15 counts charges preferred against him by the federal government.

Following the plea, the prosecuting counsel, Labaran Magaji informed the court of his readiness to proceed with the trial as two of his witnesses and exhibits were in court.

However, the lead counsel to Kanu, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), argued that the trial could not proceed because he had two motions, one challenging the competence of the charges and the other on bail.

He further contended that the charges were incurably defective and had no force of law, adding that the offences alleged against the defendant were committed in the United Kingdom, outside the shores of Nigeria.

In her ruling, Justice Binta Nyako upheld Ozekhome’s submissions that it was proper to determine the motion challenging the validity of the charges before the trial.

Justice Nyako fixed February 16 for the parties to return to court to move their processes for and against the motion.

She however directed that Kanu be returned to the custody of the Department of State Services pending determination of bail application.