A Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia, Abia State, has ordered the Federal Government to pay the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, N500 million as damages following his illegal extradition from Kenya.

The court, presided over by Justice E.N Anyadike, on Wednesday, also ordered the Federal Government to return Kanu to Kenya from where he was extradited to Nigeria in June, 2021.

Justice Anyadike held that the extradition of the IPOB leader from Kenya was a violation of his fundamental rights under Article 12(4) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, as well as Chapter IV of the Nigerian Constitution.

The presiding judge said the manner of arrest, torture, continued detention, and denial of the right to fair hearing amounted to a brazen violation of Kanu’s rights.

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Anyadike held that the burden was on the respondents to justify their actions, which they failed to do so.

Reacting, Kanu’s counsel, Alloy Ejimakor, hailed the court for what he described as a “painstaking judgment”.

“What is the most important in today’s judgement is not the money awarded to us as damages, but the court’s order that Kanu should be restored to the status quo as of June 19, 2021.

“I, therefore, call on the Federal Government to take prompt steps to obey this court order and restore Kanu to the status quo,” Ejimakor said.

Nnamdi Kanu, in a suit filed in March, prayed the court to redress his unlawful expulsion or extraordinary rendition from Kenya by the Federal Government.

The suit has the Federal Government, the Attorney-General of the Federal and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and President Muhammadu Buhari as respondents.

The Star