A high court in Abia state has adjourned hearing in the suit filed by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), against the federal government.
K. C. J. Okereke, the presiding judge, adjourned the matter till October 7 following the failure of some of the respondents, including the federal government, to file their responses in the suit.
Kanu had filed a suit marked HIH/FR14/2021 against the federal government of Nigeria (1st respondent), attorney-general of the federation (2nd), chief of army staff (3rd), inspector-general of police (5th), director-general, Department of State Services (7th) and three others for allegedly violating his fundamental human rights.
Kanu, through his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, asked the court to compel the respondents to pay him N5 billion in damages as monetary compensation for the “physical, mental, emotional, psychological and other damages” he suffered.
He is also seeking an order declaring that his extradition, arrest, torture, and detention were unconstitutional.
At the court session on Tuesday, only two out of the eight respondents had filed processes in the matter – the DSS in Abuja and Umuahia.
Their processes were, however, filed out of time.
The judge subsequently adjourned the case to allow the other respondents file their responses.
In his ruling, the judge said Kanu shall be entitled to certain reliefs against any party that fails to respond to the suit in time.
