A High Court in Abuja has dismissed the fundamental human rights suit filed by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, against the Nigerian government.
Kanu sued the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Department of State Service for ₦1billion in damages for allegedly violating his rights.
The IPOB leader asserted that the Department of Security Services (DSS) and its Director General violated his right to a fair hearing. He claimed that his lawyers were allegedly prevented from having unrestricted access to him while he was detained, which hindered his preparation for his defence in his criminal trial.
In his ruling on Monday, Justice James Omotosho stated that Kanu did not provide sufficient evidence to support his claims that his interactions with his lawyers were interfered with, that he was denied unrestricted access to his lawyers, and that DSS officials eavesdropped on his conversations with his lawyers, which would have violated his right to a fair hearing.