Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday quashed the human rights suit filed by the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, against the Federal Government.
Justice Omotosho, while delivering a judgment in the suit, held that Kanu failed to provide credible evidence to sustain his claims that his interactions with his lawyers were interfered with, that he was denied unhindered access to his lawyers, and that DSS officials eavesdropped on his conversations with his lawyers, which constituted a breach of his right to a fair hearing.
Persecondnews recalls that Kanu had sued the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Department of State Service for N1 billion in damages for alleged rights violations.
The IPOB leader, in the suit marked FHC/CS/1633/2023, claimed that the DSS and its Director General violated his right to a fair hearing by allegedly preventing his lawyers from having unhindered interactions with him while he was being detained in preparation for his defence in his criminal trial.
In his motion, the detained IPOB leader requested eight reliefs, including a declaration that the respondents’ act of forcible seizure and photocopying of confidential legal documents pertaining to facilitating the preparation of his defence, which were brought to him at the respondents’ detention facility by his lawyers, amounted to denial of his rights to be defended by legal practitioners of his own choice.
He is seeking a declaration that the respondents’ act of refusing or preventing his counsel from taking notes of details of counsel’s professional discussions or consultations with him at SSS detention, with said discussions or consultations relating to the preparation of his defence, amounted to a denial of his right to be given adequate facilities for the preparation of his defence by legal practitioners of his own choice.
Details shortly…
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