Justice K. C. J. Okereke of the Abia High Court has fixed 21 September for hearing of the N5 billion suit instituted by Nnamdi Kanu leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, against the Buhari administration and its officials.
In suit no HIH/FR14/2021 filed Tuesday by his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu demanded compensation from the government over infringements of his fundamental human rights.
Those sued apart from the Buhari government are the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN); In the suit, Chief of Army Staff, Inspector General of Police, Director General, State Security Services and three others.
Kanu wants them to pay him N5 billion in damages, being monetary compensation for the “physical, mental, emotional, psychological and other damages” suffered as a result of the alleged infringements of his fundamental rights.
At the mention of the case yesterday, Kanu secured an order from the court to serve by substituted means an application for enforcement of the fundamental rights of Kanu.
Kanu, who is currently in DSS custody was kidnapped in Kenya in June and then flown to Nigeria to continue the treason trial against him.
He contends that his rights have been infringed upon since 2017 when he fled the country due to an alleged threat to his life by security agents and after his extraordinary rendition to Nigeria from a foreign country recently.
Some of the reliefs placed before the court are:
“A declaration that the expulsion of the Applicant from Kenya to Nigeria by the Respondents or their agents and their consequent detention and planned prosecution of the Applicant in Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015 (Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Nnamdi Kanu) is illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and amount to infringement of the Applicant’s fundamental right against unlawful expulsion and detention, and to fair hearing, as enshrined and guaranteed under the pertinent provisions of CFRN and the Charter).
“An order restraining the Respondents or their agents from taking any further step in the prosecution of the Applicant in Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015 (Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Nnamdi Kanu) pursuant to said unlawful expulsion of the Applicant from Kenya to Nigeria.
“An order mandating and compelling the Respondents or their agents to forthwith release the Applicant from detention and restitute or otherwise restore Applicant to his liberty, same being his state of being as of 19th June, 2021; and to thereupon repatriate the Applicant to his country of domicile (to wit: Britain) to await the outcome of any formal request the Respondents may file before the competent authorities in Britain for the lawful extradition of the Applicant to Nigeria to continue his prosecution in Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015 (Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Nnamdi Kanu).
“An order mandating and compelling the Respondents to issue an official Letter of Apology to the Applicant for the infringement of his fundamental rights; and publication of said Letter of Apology in three (3) national dailies.
“An order mandating and compelling the Respondents to pay the sum of N5,000,000,000.00 (Five Billion Naira) to the Applicant, being monetary damages claimed by the Applicant against the Respondents jointly and severally for the physical, mental, emotional, psychological and other damages suffered by the Applicant as a result of the infringements of Applicant’s fundamental rights.”
