An Abia State High Court presided over by Hon. Justice Benson Anya in Umuahia, the state capital on Wednesday ordered the federal government to pay the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, a whooping sum of N1bn.
Kanu, through his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor had approached the court seeking N5bn damage against the Federal Government over the alleged invasion of his father’s house on September 10, 2017 by the military.
Hon. Justice Anya described the invasion of Kanu’s Afaraukwu residence as notorious and brazen.
He struck out other prayers sought by Kanu’s legal team, including his repatriation from Kenya and continued detention by the DSS.
The presiding judge also granted the request sought by Kanu’s legal team, ordering the Federal Government to issue a public apology in three national dailies over the illegal invasion of Kanu’s Afaraukwu residence.
Kanu, through his special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, had in August initiated the fundamental human rights suit against the Nigerian government.
However, Justice Ben Anya of the High Court sitting in Abia State, rejected the Nigerian government’s challenge of its jurisdiction to hear Kanu’s fundamental rights suit.
The suit, further sought the court to stop the Nigerian government from prosecuting Kanu, mandating it to release the IPOB leader and tender an apology to Kanu, among others.
This was disclosed by Ejimakor in a tweet which stated; “Breaking: MNK wins as Abia High Court rejects Nigerian government’s challenge to its jurisdiction to hear Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s fundamental rights suit. Judgment on other issues still in progress,” Ejimakor wrote.