The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed the appeal filed by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, ruling that the suit lacked merit and had become academic following his conviction and sentence to life imprisonment.
The appeal stemmed from Kanu’s challenge to a July 3 ruling by Justice Taiwo Taiwo (now retired) of the Federal High Court, which struck out his fundamental rights enforcement suit for lack of proof.
Listed as respondents in the case were the Director-General of the DSS, the DSS itself, and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
Delivering judgment on Friday, a three-member panel held that Kanu’s claims—alleging violations of his rights to health care, human dignity, and freedom of religion—could no longer stand since he is no longer in DSS custody but legally remanded in a correctional facility.
Justice Boloukuromo Moses, who delivered the lead judgment, noted that Kanu’s counsel, Maxwell Opara, confirmed at the start of proceedings that his client is currently held at Sokoto Prison, rendering his request for transfer to Kuje Prison irrelevant.
Justice Ugo, concurring, added that since Kanu previously asked to be moved to a prison rather than a DSS facility, his subsequent prayers became untenable after he was convicted and relocated.
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