The fundamental rights violation
suit brought against the federal government at the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice by leader of the proscribed Indigenous
People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, stalled on Tuesday.
The court was informed that lead
counsel to the Nigerian government, Mr. Dayo Apata, was at a meeting with Vice
President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
Kanu had approached the court
through his lawyer, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, with a motion against the Nigerian government
on alleged violation of his rights and demanded an order of the ECOWAS Court
for compensation of the sum of $800million as damages.
The matter adjourned for hearing
of the substantive suit and inclusion of fresh motions by Ejiofor, was further
adjourned yesterday following the inability of the government counsel to attend
the hearing.
A counsel representing the
Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abdullahi Abubakar asked for
stand-down of the case which the court granted to enable government lawyer to
be present in court.
Abubakar’s request was predicated
on the grounds that the Nigerian government lawyer was at the Supreme Court for
a different matter and asked for a short postponement of the hearing.
Following Abubakar’s application,
the case was stood down for two hours.
However, when the court resumed
session on the matter, Abubakar again approached the court with another request
for an adjournment on the ground that the government lawyer, Dayo Apata, the
Solicitor-General of the Federation, was unavailable.
Abubakar further told the court
that his team had not gotten some of the documents from a previous ruling in
the ECOWAS Court.
In his response, Ejiofor accused
the Nigerian government of “deliberately delaying the matter”.
Ejiofor asked the court to compel
the respondent to pay a cost of N2million for what he described as deliberate
frustration of the matter.
The court adjourned the matter
till November 21, for hearing of all the applications and determination of
Ejiofor’s motion for award of cost against the respondents.
In a chat with newsmen on his
client’s absence in court, Ejiofor reiterated: “only the Nigerian army can
speak on Kanu’s current location”.
“The military and federal
government are in a position to tell me where my client is. We are going to
settle it in court,” he said.
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