There was a wild jubilation in the Biafra community, when an Abia State High Court, on Wednesday, awarded a whopping sum of 1 billion naira compensation to the embattled Spiritual Leader of the proscribed Indigenous People Of Biafra, popularly known as IPOB.
Sitting in Umuahia, the state capital, Justice Benson Anya of the Abia State High Court, ruled that the invasion by the Nigerian security forces, of the residence of the leader of the IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, coupled with his later abduction in Kenya and subsequent repatriation to Nigeria, was unlawful and a gross violation of his fundamental human rights.
It would be recalled that, in 2017, the Nigerian army, upon launching the second phase of Operation Python Dance II in the Southeast region, had stormed Kanu’s Afaraukwu residence in Umuahia, and reportedly killed some members of the IPOB.
Although Kanu got away during the illegal invasion, he was reportedly re-arrested in Kenya last year, tortured, forcefully returned to Nigeria and later arraigned before an Abuja High Court on a 15-count terrorism charge preferred against him by the Federal Government.
Subsequently, Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, had filed a 5-billion naira suit against the Nigerian government, as damages for the extrajudicial assault.
Hon. Justice Anya described the invasion as illegal, notorious and a breach of Kanu’s human rights.
The judge thus awarded 1 billion naira relief, whilst also ordering the Federal Government to issue a public apology in three national dailies, over the illegal invasion of Mazi Kanu’s Afaraukwu residence.
Expectedly, the verdict has been hailed by fans and apologetics of Nnamdi Kanu and the IPOB all around the world, who had been verily uptight with the litigious trends.
Many Nigerians however expressed their dissatisfaction over the FG’s ruthless waste of public funds, on its fondly wild goose chases, while prescribing a more delicate approach to security issues, with emphasis on respect for the rule of law and fundamental human rights, something much lacking under the Buhari’s administration.
Retrospectively about four months ago, an Ọ̀yọ́ High Court awarded the sum of 20 billion naira against the Department of State Security (DSS), over the illegal invasion of Chief Sunday Igboho’s Ibadan residence.
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