A Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice James Omotosho has dismissed a fundamental human rights suit filed by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, against the Federal Government.
Kanu had sued the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Department of State Service (DSS) for N1 billion in damages for alleged rights violations.
He claimed that the DSS and its Director General violated his right to a fair hearing by allegedly preventing his lawyers from having unhindered interactions with him while he was being detained in preparation for his defence in his criminal trial.
However, Justice Omotosho held that Kanu failed to provide credible evidence to sustain his claims that his interactions with his lawyers were interfered with. The judge also said there was no evidence that Kanu was denied unhindered access to his lawyers or that the DSS officials had eavesdropped his conversations with his lawyers, which constituted a breach of his right to a fair hearing.
The suit, marked FHC/CS/1633/2023, was therefore dismissed due to a lack of credible evidence to sustain Kanu’s allegations.
The DSS had also denied allegations levelled against it, stating that Kanu was allowed access to his family members and team of lawyers on his visiting days without any hindrance. The security outfit also stated that Kanu was permitted to interact and consult with his lawyers on his visiting days without any interference.
The court’s decision comes as no surprise as the DSS had earlier stated that the IPOB leader’s allegations were untrue and lacked merit.
