The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed a new date for hearing of the N1 billion lawsuit filed by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indegenous People of Biafra (IPOB) against the federal government.
Other defendants are the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Department of State Services (DSS), and its Director General, Yusuf Bichi.
In his ruling, Justice James Omotosho rescheduled hearing in the fundamentals rights enforcement suit due to the absence of Kanu’s lawyer.
At the mention of the case, no lawyer announced appearance for the applicant, while the respondents were represented by two lawyers Enoch Simon (for the Federal Government and the AGF) and I. Awo for the DSS.
Simon informed the court that his clients were only served with the hearing notice and had not been served with the suit’s originating processes.
The lawyer said he was in court out of respect for the law.
After listening to the lawyers, Justice Omotosho adjourned till March 4 for hearing and ordered that a hearing notice be issued and served on the applicant.
In the suit filed for Kanu by his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, the IPOB leader is seeking 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 also sought a declaration that the respondents’ act of refusing or preventing his counsel from taking notes of details of counsel’s professional discussions/consultations with him at DSS detention, with said discussions/consultations relating to preparation of his defence amounted to denial of his right to be given adequate facilities for the preparation of his defence by legal practitioners of his own choice, among others.
