Government lawyers fail to show up in court today for Nnamdi Kanu's N5bn civil case

NIGERIAN government lawyers failed to show up in court today when the civil rights suit filed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) leader Nnamdi Kanu was listed for hearing forcing the judge to postpone the case until October 7.

Mr Kanu, who was facing treason charges in Nigeria, jumped bail and fled  the country but was dramatically abducted by Nigerian security agents in Kenya and flown back into the country. He is now being detained by the Department of State Security as his treason trial is set to resume.

In response to the abduction, Aloy Ejimakor, Mr Kanu's lawyer, filed a suit at the Abia State High Court on August 27, demanding that the Nigerian federal government return him to Kenya where he was abducted from. In the suit, Mr Kanu is also demanded N5bn ($12.12m) from the government over the alleged gross violation of his fundamental human rights.

There was a heavy presence of security agents around the court premises located at Ikot Ekpene Road, Umuahia, the Abia State capital today in anticipation of the hearing of the case. Vacation judge, Justice KCJ Okereke was set to hear the case but the government lawyers did not show up.

During the supposed hearing, it was discovered that out of the eight government respondents, only two have filed their reply to the suit but their processes were filed out of time, promoting Justice Okereke to adjourn the case. Barrister Ejimakor expressed confidence in the capacity of the Abia State High Court to uphold the law by enforcing Mr Kanu’s human rights.

Mr Ejimakor said: “There is an unbroken chain of federal government’s violations of Kanu’s constitutional rights that began with the lethal military invasion of his home in Umuahia and his flight to safety in 2017 and his extraordinary rendition to Nigeria in late June 2021.”