A suit filed on behalf of the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu against the Federal Government on matters relating to infringement of human rights, has been adjourned to 10th December.
The matter, heard at the Federal High Court in Abia State on Friday was adjourned for adoption of processes and a hearing on the substantive application seeking Kanu’s release from detention and his repatriation to Britain.
The early date was insisted on by Kanu’s lawyer, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, who argued that fundamental rights are special cases that must be concluded on time, especially in this instance where Kanu has been in detention since June this year.
In a hearing today, the High Court of Abia State sitting in Umuahia issued an order restraining security agencies from deploying their personnel to the court premises each time the case of Kanu is heard there.
The court also restrained them from maltreating anybody who attends the court to witness Kanu’s proceedings.
What prompted the order was that a huge number of security agents cordoned off the premises of Abia State High Court at Umuahia at the resumed hearing of Kanu’s human rights suit against the Federal government and seven others, which was filed by his special counsel, Barrister Ejimakor on 7th September, 2021. The suit is primarily aimed at challenging Kanu’s arrest in Kenya and his subsequent transfer to Nigeria.
The matter came up for resumed hearing today before Justice Benson Anya. The security agents were out in strength and blocked all the entry points to the Court house, allowing only court workers, judges, lawyers and a few media personnel to get through.
It will be recalled that at the two previous hearings of the matter, there was also a sizable number of security agents deployed at the premises of the Court, including a large contingent of soldiers.
In making the order, the judge noted that he saw no necessity for deployment of such high number of security agents to the court, stating that in the future, if security agents saw need to deploy to the court, they should apply to the court for permission to do that.
Ejimakor was in court with several lawyers including Barristers Patrick Agazie and Max Ozoaka of Alaigbo Development Foundation.
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