… The court held that, given this development, the request for Kanu’s transfer from DSS custody to Kuje Prison was no longer applicable.
ABUJA, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal on Friday dismissed the appeal filed by Nnamdi Kanu, the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in which he accused the Federal Government of violating his fundamental rights.
The Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) were named as respondents in the appeal.
A three-man panel of the Court of Appeal dismissed the matter, ruling that it had become purely academic since the IPOB leader had already been convicted and sentenced by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Boloukuromo Ugo, the court noted that Kanu’s counsel, Maxwell Opara, acknowledged that his client is currently serving his sentence at the Sokoto Correctional Centre.
The court held that, given this development, the request for Kanu’s transfer from DSS custody to Kuje Prison was no longer applicable.
Furthermore, it observed that since Kanu had previously indicated a preference for prison custody, his conviction and subsequent detention at the Sokoto facility had effectively met that request.
On these grounds, the panel struck out the appeal for lacking merit.
In the appeal, the embattled IPOB leader had challenged the July 3 ruling of Justice Taiwo Taiwo, which dismissed his fundamental rights enforcement suit.
It will be recalled that on November 20, the trial court convicted Kanu on a seven-count terrorism charge brought against him by the Federal Government. Justice James Omotosho held that the prosecution had proven the allegations beyond reasonable doubt and consequently sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment.
