By Abiola Olawale
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday struck out a lawsuit initiated by the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu seeking the award of N1 billion compensation against the Federal Government and the Department of State Services (DSS).
In the ruling, Justice James Omotoso, the presiding judge, stated that Kanu did not provide evidence to support his claim that his communications with his legal representatives were unlawfully monitored by the DSS.
Justice Omotoso also held that Kanu and his legal team failed to show evidence that the Nigerian government or the DSS denied him a fair hearing in the ongoing terrorism count charge against him.
The judge said Kanu’s lawyers also failed to show that the DSS stopped them from taking notes during their conversations with him.
Consequently, the judge dismissed the suit for lack of merit.
The New Diplomat reports that Kanu in a lawsuit filed by his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1633/2023, had prayed the court to slam one billion naira compensation fee against the FG and DSS.
The embattled leader of IPOB said the compensation fee is for the enforcement of his fundamental rights while in detention.
In the originating motion dated and filed December 4, 2023, the applicant sued the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the DSS, and its Director-General as the 1st to 4th respondents, respectively.
The suit was filed under Order II, Rules 1 & 2 of the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules 2009, among others.
In the motion, the detained IPOB leader prayed for a declaration that the respondents’ act of forcibly seizing and photocopying confidential legal documents about the preparation of his defence, which was brought to him at the respondents’ detention facility by his lawyers, amounted to a denial of his right to be defended by legal practitioners of his own choice.
