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Alleged Human Rights Breach: Court Dismisses Nnamdi Kanu’s Suit Against DSS

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2 years ago

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Nnamdi-Kanu
Nnamdi Kanu
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Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has dismissed a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, against the Department of State Services (DSS).

Delivering Judgement, Justice Omotosho held that Kanu’s suit lacked merit and ought to be dismissed.

Justice Omotosho held that right to human dignity is contained in Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution. He said it was clear that a right to human dignity related to right against torture, inhuman treatment, among others.

The judge held that Kanu’s case did not relate to torture or forced labour as he was never tortured while in custody based on the evidence before the court.

He said a right to dignity was not a right to change clothes as inmate in a prison.
“The applicant cannot come to court to seek for rights which are not in the constitution,” he said.

Besides, Justice Omotosho held that Kanu failed to provide the photographs and names of inmates who were allowed to wear different attires while in custody.

He said the onus was on him to prove his case but the applicant merely rely on bare facts without any evidence.

He described the IPOB leader’s allegations as “an hypothesis without concrete evidence.”

The judge, consequently, dismissed the case for lacking in merit.

Nnamdi Kanu had sued the Director General of DSS, DSS and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

In the suit, the IPOB leader alleged that the DSS subjected him to different inhuman treatments, including denying him of his rights to wear any clothes of his choice like the Igbo traditional attire called “Isi-Agu,” while in their facility or any time he appeared in court for his trial.

He alleged that the security outfit while allowing other inmates in their custody the freedom to choose and wear any clothes of their choice, he was restricted to wearing only a single cloth.

The applicant also accused the DSS of subjecting him to torture, breaching his right to dignity, among others.

He, therefore, sought an order directing the respondents to allow him put on any clothe of his choice while in the facility or when appearing in public, among other reliefs.

But in a counter affidavit filed by the DSS and its DG, they urged the court to dismissed Kanu’s claim.

They said that their operatives had did not and had never tortured Kanu either physically or mentally while in their custody.

According to the DSS, Kanu is kept in their facility where every other suspects are kept.

They said it was untrue that other suspects were allowed to put on any clothe of their choice, including Hausa and Yoruba traditional wears.

They said that the facility was not a recreational centre or traditional festival where Kanu and other suspects would be allowed to adore themselves in their respective traditional attires.

They accused Kanu’s family of bringing traditional attires and other clothings with Biafra insignias and pair of red shoes decorated with shinning beads for him to wear in custody and also to attend court for his trial.

According to DSS, the clothes have colours of the non-existing Biafra Republic, which is the subject matter of applicant’s criminal trial.

They said the Isi-Agu attire, popularly called a chieftaincy attire, was not a suitable dress for persons in detention facility and against its SOP.

They also argued that Justice Binta Nyako, where Kanu is currently standing trial, had directed that Kanu should be allowed to wear any plain clothe of his choice and that any thing contrary would contravene the court’s directive.

The DSS said they never breached his right to human dignity as alleged by the IPOB leader.

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Judiciary

Nnamdi Kanu Opts to Defend Himself as Legal Team Withdraws from Trial

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2 months ago

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October 23, 2025

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Nnamdi-Kanu
Nnamdi Kanu
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A dramatic twist unfolded on Thursday at the Federal High Court in Abuja as the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, announced that he would represent himself in court following the withdrawal of his entire legal team.

Lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), informed the court that he and other Senior Advocates had stepped down from the case, stating that Kanu had decided to “take back his case.”

Confirming the development, Kanu told the presiding judge, “I will be representing myself for now. That might change later.” When asked if he wanted the court to assign a lawyer to him, he declined.

Speaking directly before the bench, Kanu argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to continue with the case against him. His submission formed part of an oral argument he personally presented—a rare occurrence in such a high-profile criminal trial.

The development marks a new phase in the long-running case, which has faced multiple adjournments and legal battles since Kanu’s arrest and extradition from Kenya to Nigeria in 2021.

Kanu faces charges bordering on treasonable felony and terrorism-related offences. Legal observers say his decision to conduct his own defence could significantly affect the direction and tempo of the trial in the coming weeks.

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Judiciary

Natasha Files Objections to FG’s Criminal Defamation Suit

Published

3 months ago

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September 22, 2025

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, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
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Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed preliminary objections before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory and the Federal High Court, contesting criminal defamation charges instituted against her by the Federal Government.

The senator described the case as an abuse of power and a calculated attempt at political persecution, alleging that the charges arose from petitions filed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.

Her legal team, led by four Senior Advocates of Nigeria—Prof. Roland Otaru, SAN; Dr. E. West-Idahosa, SAN; J.J. Usman, SAN; and M.J. Numa, SAN—argued that the prosecutions are unconstitutional and aimed at silencing opposition voices rather than advancing public interest or national security.

The lawyers tendered exhibits indicating that the senator’s comments were part of legitimate public discourse and media commentary. They further contended that the Attorney-General of the Federation lacks the legal standing to prosecute defamation cases on behalf of private individuals.

According to the defence, defamation is a civil matter and criminalizing it amounts to intimidation, suppression of free speech, and misuse of the justice system.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan also accused authorities of selective justice, stating that while her own petitions over threats to her life were ignored, complaints from her political rivals were quickly acted upon. She maintained that this amounts to discriminatory prosecution in violation of Section 42 of the Constitution.

Her lawyers urged the courts to dismiss the cases at the preliminary stage, warning that allowing them to proceed would erode public confidence in the justice system and waste national resources.

 

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Judiciary

Court Freezes Four Bank Accounts Linked to Ex-NNPC Boss Kyari Over ₦661m Fraud Allegation

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4 months ago

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August 21, 2025

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Mele Kyari
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The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the temporary freezing of four Jaiz Bank accounts linked to former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, over alleged involvement in a ₦661.4 million fraud.

Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, following an ex-parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

EFCC counsel, Ogechi Ujam, told the court that the accounts were under investigation in connection with conspiracy, abuse of office, and money laundering. The anti-graft agency said preliminary findings revealed the accounts, allegedly controlled by Kyari through family members and associates, received suspicious inflows from the NNPC and oil companies.

According to the EFCC, the funds—spread across four Jaiz Bank accounts in the names of Mele Kyari and Guwori Community Development Foundation—were disguised as payments for a book launch and activities of a non-governmental organisation.

The judge held that the application was meritorious and adjourned the matter to September 23 for a report.

 

 

 

 

 

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