The Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a ₦1 billion lawsuit filed by Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), against the Federal Government and the Department of State Services (DSS). Justice James Omotosho ruled that Kanu failed to provide credible evidence supporting his claims of rights violations by the defendants.
Kanu, through his lawyer Aloy Ejimakor, had alleged that the DSS interfered with his access to legal counsel by eavesdropping on his conversations and seizing confidential legal documents brought to him by his lawyers. However, the court found that these claims could not be substantiated based on the evidence presented.
The DSS, represented by Yamuje Benye from its Legal Department, refuted Kanu’s allegations in a counter affidavit. Benye stated that Kanu was granted access to his lawyers and family members without hindrance on visiting days, and that there was no evidence of eavesdropping or confiscation of legal documents. He argued that Kanu’s suit was an abuse of court process, as similar issues were already being addressed in another court.
Ultimately, the court agreed with the DSS and dismissed Kanu’s suit, emphasizing that there was no basis for the allegations of rights violations and that the suit constituted an abuse of court process.