Court adjourns Kanu’s suit against FG, Malami to Nov 19

Court adjourns Kanu’s suit against FG, Malami to Nov 19

By Steve Oko

Mr. Aloy Ejimakor, Special Counsel to the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has expressed sadness over the adjournment of Kanu’s suit against the federal government to November 19.

The N5 billion Rights enforcement suit was earlier scheduled for Tuesday, November 2, at the Abia State High Court.

Kanu seeks among other things to be returned to Kenya from where he was “renditioned”, arguing that Nigeria has no rights to trial him when he was not properly arrested.

Respondents in the suit include the federal government; the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; Chief of Army Staff; the Inspector General of Police; and the Director General of Department of State Services, DSS.

The matter was first handled by Vacation judge, Justice KCJ Okereke who later returned the suit to the Chief Judge for reassignment as his vacation time elapsed.

It was later returned to the Abia Chief judge but before it came up for hearing penultimate week, the federal government applied for time extension to enable it respond to Kanu’s claims.

Indications that the matter might not be entertained on Tuesday emerged when Journalists who besieged the court premises as early as 9:00am discovered that the heavy presence of armed security operatives that characterised previous sittings was no where to be found.

No reasons were however given for the development.

Meanwhile, Kanu’s Lawyer expressed his disappointment over the inability of the court to hear the matter on Tuesday.

His words: ” I’m saddened by the untoward development over a suit that seeks the unconditional release of Kanu from his illegal detention.

” When a man is in detention and you wish to negotiate with him, the first step you take is to stop resisting every effort being made to release him from detention. That’s how they negotiated with Mandela, Ghandhi and Martin Luther King.

” It’s unnatural to negotiate with a man in chains”, Kanu’s lawyer declared.

He had earlier in a statement argued that Nigeria Government should not benefit from “Kanu’s rendition” .

The statement had read: “I wish to take this opportunity to emphasize that the maim aim of this suit is to prevent the Nigerian government from profiting from Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s extraordinary rendition. That is why one of the orders we seek is for Kanu to be released from detention forthwith.

“It is my intention therefore to, on 2nd November, move for an instant Ruling on the Nigerian government’s application for extension of time, so that the case can proceed quickly to the next level, which is expected to be a definitive hearing on the substantive matter.

“The Nigerian government needs to be reminded that Fundamental Rights suits are intended to be concluded quickly, especially in situations such as this where my Client, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu (the Applicant) is currently incarcerated.”

 

Steve Oko, Publisher/C.E.O, WaWa News Global. For more information on advert placement and news coverage, contact us on: 08038725600, or via email stevemanofgod2000@yahoo.com; wawanewsglobal@gmail.com Always read WaWa News Global - Your most dependable online news platform for the latest breaking news in Nigeria.

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