The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed the appeal filed by terrorism convict Nnamdi Kanu of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, ruling that it lacked merit and had become purely academic after his conviction for terrorism charges by a Federal High Court in a judgment delivered on November 20.
In its decision on Friday, the three-member panel of the appellate court stated that Kanu’s assertion that his fundamental rights to human dignity, proper medical treatment and religious freedom were being violated through his continued detention by the Department of State Services, DSS, could no longer be sustained owing to his conviction, life sentence and transfer to prison custody.
Justice Boloukuromo Moses Ugo, delivering the lead ruling, explained that the matter had become academic because, once Kanu’s counsel (Maxwell Opara) confirmed at the start of Friday’s hearing that his client was currently detained in Sokoto prison, the court had no basis to direct that he be moved to Kuje prison, which he had earlier requested as an alternative to DSS custody.
Justice Ugo added that, since Kanu had previously shown preference for being held in prison custody, the court could not now issue any order in his favour after he was duly convicted and placed in the prison where he had initially wanted to stay.
The ruling concerned Kanu’s challenge to the July 3 judgment by Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja (now retired), which had rejected his fundamental rights application on the basis that he failed to establish his claims.
The respondents named in the suit were the Director General of the DSS, the DSS and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
