A Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, has ordered the Federal Government to pay the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, N500 million as damages, following his illegal abduction and human rights abuse.

The court also ordered the Federal Government to return him to Kenya from where he was extradited to Nigeria on June 19, 2021.

The court, presided by Justice E.N. Anyadike, insisted that the extradition of Kanu from Kenya, without recourse to legal process, was a flagrant abuse of his fundamental human rights.

He held that the respondent failed to disprove the claims of the applicant that he was arrested, blindfolded, tortured and chained to the ground for eight days in Kenya before his extradition to Nigeria.

Kanu, through his counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, had approached the court challenging his extradition.

Ejimakor told the court that the suit is sui generis (of a special class) and was primarily aimed at redressing the infamous unlawful expulsion or extraordinary rendition of Kanu, which is a clear violation of his fundamental rights under Article 12(4) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, as well as Chapter IV of the Nigerian Constitution.

ALSO, Kanu has sued the Federal Government, seeking his unconditional release from detention. In the suit, filed through his team of lawyers led by Chief Mike Ozekhome, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1945/2022 and dated October 21, Kanu is challenging his continued detention and asking for N100 billion as damages for the violation of his fundamental human rights.

Kanu asked the Federal High Court in Abuja for “a declaration that the continued detention of the applicant by the respondents, from the 13th day of October 2022, till date, is illegal, unlawful, oppressive, unconscionable and unconstitutional, as it violates the applicant’s fundamental rights to dignity of human persons, personal liberty, and right to freedom of movement as guaranteed by Sections 34, 35, 36, 39, and 41 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) 2011.

“An order of this honourable court directing the respondents to unconditionally release the applicants from their custody forthwith.

“An order of injunction restraining the respondents, their ages, privies, assigns or howsoever called, from further interfering with the applicant’s rights, and/or dealing with the applicant in a manner inimical to his fundamental rights guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution as amended, 2011.

“Compensatory and exemplary damages of N100 billion against the respondents for the gross violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights to dignity of the human person, personal liberty and freedom of movement.”

Kanu also wants the court to issue an order “directing the respondents to tender an unreserved public apology to the applicant in two national dailies and any other forms of reparation that the honourable court may deem fit to grant.”