An Abia State High Court sitting in Umuahia on Wednesday ordered the federal government to pay the sum of One billion naira (N1bn) to the leader of Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu for the invasion of his home in Umuahia by the military.
The Court, presided over by Justice Benson Anya gave the order while delivering judgment in the Nnamdi Kanu vs FG and others, at the Umuahia High Court complex, Ikot Ekpene road.
The Court held that the 2017 invasion of the home of the detained IPOB leader by the military was illegal, unconstitutional, notorious, brazen and was against his fundamental human rights.
It also decided that it was the invasion of Kanu’s home in 2017 by the military that forced him to flee his home, for the fear of being killed.
Reacting to the ruling, the counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, Barr Alloy Ejimakor hailed the ruling, noting that “the gavel has fallen in search for justice.” He expressed the hope that the federal government would pay the damage, in respect to the Law.
But the counsel to the federal government, Amos Tori said he would first obtain the copies of the judgment and take it to the legal team of the federal government, for study of the ruling.
The celebrated case led to the condoning off of some roads and adjourning streets that connects to the Umuahia High Court, with heavy presence of security men stationed on all strategic roads like Finbers, Ikot Ekpene road and School road.
In similar development, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, on same day, Wednesday, pleaded not guilty to the fresh amended 15-count treasonable felony charge the Federal Government preferred against him at an Abuja Federal High Court.
On the appearance of Kanu, the Prosecution counsel, Mr. Shuaibu Labaran, told the court that he was ready to proceed with the trial and announced, he brought two witnesses to testify against the Defendant.
Kanu’s lead counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, who told the court that he had on Tuesday evening, filed a 43-paged Preliminary Objection for the charge to be quashed and struck out without the matter proceeding to trial also informed they are further requesting that the Defendant be discharged and acquitted as there is nothing in the charge and therefore has no basis no basis at all.
Ozekhome said “We also have a motion requesting the court to grant bail to the Defendant”, Ozekhome added.
FG’s lawyer, Labaran, on his part, argued that Kanu’s two applications were not ripe for hearing, stressing that he would require time to go through them so as to be able to respond.
“In essence, business of the day cannot be allowed to be truncated by these applications”, he argued.
In a brief ruling, Justice Nyako noted that since Kanu’s first application is challenging the propriety of his trial as well as competence of the charge against him, the court ought to hear it first.
“As for the second motion (on the issue of bail), I don’t even want to talk about it, at least not at this stage”, Justice Nyako held.
The court subsequently adjourned till February 16 to hear the pending application.
