Appeal Court strikes out Nnamdi Kanu’s rights violation suit

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has struck out an appeal filed by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, challenging alleged violations of his fundamental rights by the Federal Government.

In the suit, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) were listed as respondents.

A three-member panel of the appellate court dismissed the appeal on Friday, ruling that the matter had become purely academic since Kanu had already been convicted and sentenced by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Boloukuromo Ugo noted that Kanu’s counsel, Maxwell Opara, confirmed that the IPOB leader is serving his sentence at the Sokoto Correctional Centre.

The court held that Kanu’s request to be transferred from DSS custody to Kuje Prison was no longer relevant, as the conviction and his subsequent remand in a correctional facility had already addressed his earlier preference for prison custody.

With these developments, the panel ruled that the appeal lacked merit and accordingly struck it out.

Kanu had sought to overturn the July 3 judgment of Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, which dismissed his fundamental rights enforcement suit.

It will be recalled that on November 20, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court convicted Kanu on a seven-count terrorism charge brought against him by the Federal Government, holding that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, and subsequently sentenced him to life imprisonment.