In a groundbreaking verdict, Justice A. O. Onovo of the Enugu State High Court has declared the proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) by the South-East Governors’ Forum as illegal, unconstitutional, and null and void. This decision marks a significant turning point in the legal battle surrounding IPOB’s activities.
The South-East Governors’ Forum, led by former Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, had proscribed IPOB’s activities in 2017. This action subsequently led to the Federal Government designating IPOB as a terrorist organization merely three days later. However, Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB, through his legal representative, Mr. Aloy Ejimakor, approached the court in a bid to reverse the proscription.
Kanu’s plea to the court was based on several key arguments. Firstly, he sought the court’s declaration that the proscription of IPOB was illegal. He argued that IPOB was an organization composed of Nigerian citizens from the Igbo and other eastern ethnic groups who professed the political opinion of self-determination.
Furthermore, Kanu urged the court to declare his arrest, detention, and subsequent prosecution as illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional, and a violation of his fundamental rights. He asserted that the concept of self-determination was not a crime and could not be the basis for his arrest, detention, or prosecution.
In a move that underscores the magnitude of the case, Kanu requested the court to compel the defendants to pay him a staggering N8 billion in damages. This demand was based on the physical, mental, emotional, and psychological trauma he had endured throughout the legal proceedings.
In a historic ruling delivered on Thursday, Justice Onovo sided with Nnamdi Kanu and declared the proscription of IPOB as “unconstitutional and illegal.” In addition to this landmark declaration, the court ordered the defendants to pay Kanu the sought-after N8 billion in damages and further instructed them to issue a public apology to him through newspaper publications.
After the verdict was pronounced, Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, expressed his gratitude, stating, “We are grateful that justice has prevailed over this matter since 2017. The court has reaffirmed the hopes of the common man in the judiciary. You have saved thousands of lives.”
This ruling is anticipated to have far-reaching implications and set a legal precedent in the ongoing debate surrounding IPOB’s activities and the fundamental rights of its members.