IPOB Suffers Setback As Court Dismisses Application Challenging Proscription Order

The members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have suffered a set back as an Abuja Federal High Court refused its application seeking the nullification of the proscription order of the group on September 20, 2017.

IPOB had challenged the federal government’s proscription of the group as terrorist organisation, claiming that it amounted to violation of its fundamental rights to fair hearing and freedom of assembly by the federal government in its (governments) motion brought ex parte.

IPOB through its lawyers, led by Ifeanyi Ejiofor, had tried to set aside the September 20, 2017 ruling which declared it as a terrorist organisation based on Federal Government ex parte motion.

It would be recalled that in course of the operation “Crocodile dance” carried out by the Nigerian army in September last year in South East of Nigeria, particularly in Umuahia, Abia state capital which is the home base of the IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu, he had been missing after the operation in his house.

While ruling on Thursday, Justice Abdul Kafarati, noted that the basic instrument in the particular ex parte motion was the approval of the Nigerian president which was stated to have been given in the application brought by the Attorney General of the Federation.

He said the court was of the view that: “the application brought by the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation ex-parte was properly brought”.

He stressed that the rights of the IPOB members were not abused as alleged by their lawyers and awarded N500,000 as damages against the applicant.