*As HURIWA Lauds Federal High Court over Judgment on Attempt on Nnamdi Kanu’s Lawyer’s Life by Security Forces

The Federal High Court Sitting in Awka, Anambra State, Per: Honourable Justice H. A. Nganjiwa of Court No. 1, this week, delivered a landmark Judgement in a Fundamental Rights Enforcement Suit filed in Suit No: FHC/AWK/CS/56/2021 between lead Counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, Ifeanyi Ejiofor against the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria including the Department of State Services (DSS) in which the court said it was unconstitutional the invasion of the Country home of the Lawyer to the detained leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor and the extrajudicial execution of his Personal Assistant in Anambra State.

Leading civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA) has applauded the Judge of the Federal High Court for restoring faith and confidence of the common man in the Courts of competent jurisdictions as the last hope of the masses just as the Rights group has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the affected segments of the Armed Forces whose operatives carried out the illegal attempt to kill the lawyer to comply totally to the decision of the Court of law.

HURIWA in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, then demanded that all the “indicted security operatives who undertook the brutal and criminal invasion to be identified and judicially sanctioned.”

HURIWA has also asked President Muhammadu Buhari to respect the highly regarded Human Rights body within the United Nations Secretariat that has reached a determination that the abduction from Kenya of the detained leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra was unconstitutional and amounted to the infliction of physical, psychological and emotional torture just as the United Nations body has consequently directed that Nnamdi Kanu who is being detained under inhumane and treacherously barbaric environment be freed without further breach of his constitutionally guaranteed fundamental human rights.

HURIWA said the disrespect to this directive means that in 2023 after President Muhammadu Buhari has lost his diplomatic immunity he will inevitably be arrested in any part of the World and dragged before the International Criminal Court just like erstwhile Liverian war time leader Charles Taylor and prosecuted for these crimes against humanity if his administration fails to remedy them now as instructed by the UN.

Citing reports from the Federal High Court, the Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA) affirmed that this landmark Judgement delivered in the morning of 22ndday of July 2022, the Learned Erudite Judge held and consequently, declared the brutal invasion of Mr. Ejiofor’s ancestral home in Oraifite on the 6th day of June 2021, by the agents of the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the Nigerian Army and Chukwuka Chizorom Ofoegbu oppressive, and gross violation of his rights to life, dignity of human person, fair hearing, right to private and family life, etc.

HURIWA said that His Lordship further declared as illegal, oppressive and unlawful, the taking away and subsequent burning of Mr. Ejiofor’s Toyota Camry Car with Registration No. YAB 60 CB together with the corpse of Mr. Samuel Okoro, and other vital documents and valuables seized from his house by the agents of the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the Nigerian Army and Chukwuka Chizorom Ofoegbu.

The Court further made Order and consequently, restrained the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the Nigerian Army and Chukwuka Chizorom Ofoegbu either directly or through their agents, privies, and howsoever called, from further harassing Mr. Ejiofor, threatening, and/or taking further steps in an attempt to terminate his life and/or destroying his properties.

His Lordship further restrained the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the Nigerian Army and Chukwuka Chizorom Ofoegbu either directly or through their agents, privies and howsoever called, from further harassing, intimidating, and/or threatening to illegally arrest and torture Mr. Ejiofor.

Besides HURIWA recalled that the Court further awarded against the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the Nigerian Army and Chukwuka Chizorom Ofoegbu jointly and severally, the sum of ₦100,000,000.00 (ONE HUNDRED MILLION NAIRA) as Compensatory and General Damages in Mr. Ejiofor’s favour, for the gross violation of his fundamental Rights.

The Court also awarded against the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the Nigerian Army and Chukwuka Chizorom Ofoegbu, jointly and severally in Mr. Ejiofor’s favour, the sum of ₦5,000,000.00 (FIVE MILLION NAIRA) being the cost of his Toyota Camry car, which they burnt.

Also the Court further awarded the sum of ₦2,000,000.00 (TWO MILLION NAIRA), being the cost of the Suit in favour of Mr. Ejiofor.

The Learned Judge further directed the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the Nigerian Army and Chukwuka Chizorom Ofoegbu, to issue Public Apology to Mr. Ejiofor in Two National Dailies, for the gross violation of his Fundamental Rights.

In further condemning the dastardly act of the Respondents/their Agents, His Lordship further directed the Inspector General of Police, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Director General of the DSS to immediately identify their personnel involved in the gruesome act and appropriately, sanction them in line with the extant laws.

HURIWA recalled that in summary, that on the 6th day of June 2021, being a Sunday, at about 2:30AM, Mr. Ejiofor’s peaceful home in Umunakwa Ifite, Oraifite, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra state, was invaded by the combined team of the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the Nigerian Army and the Civil Defense, during which murderous invasion, Mr. Ejiofor’s Personal Assistant (Mr. Samuel Okoro) was murdered in cold blood by those monsters in security uniforms.

The rights group noted that “those monsters did not stop at that, they proceeded to take delivery of Mr. Samuel Okoro’s corpse, dumped same in Mr. Ejiofor’s Toyota Camry Car booth, and abducted three of Mr. Ejiofor’s domestic staff, namely: Okafor Lawrence Ugochukwu (gardener),
Felix Okonkwo (driver), and
Ikenna Chibuike (steward), before they hurriedly left.

Mr. Ejiofor’s elder brother (Mr. Joel Ejiofor) was equally abducted in the process, but was later pushed out around Nnobi by the invading troops, before they left with Mr. Ejiofor’s domestic staff and the corpse of Mr. Samuel Okoro.

Relatedly, HURIWA recalled that the United Nations, UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, has indicted both Nigeria and Kenya Governments for the arrest and extraordinary rendition, torture and continued detention of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, without due process.

UN therefore, asked Nigerian Government to, “immediate release Kanu unconditionally” and pay him adequate compensations for the arbitrary violation of his fundamental human rights.

It also recommended that Government officials responsible for the torture meted to the IPOB Leader be investigated and punished.

The UN body according to available body of information to HURIWA further directed Nigeria to report back within six months of the transmission of its opinions on Kanu’s matter, steps taken to comply with all the recommendations thereof.

HURIWA quoted the UN body to have referred the case of Kanu’s torture to Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment for further consideration

The UN Working Group also threatened to take further action to ensure the recommendations are complied with, noting that both Nigeria and Kenya are signatories to the Convention and should comply.

The 16-page report dated July 20, 2022 was adopted on April 4 by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention at its 93rd session, held between March 30 – April 8, 2022, HURIWA stated.

HURIWA therefore asked President Muhammadu Buhari to order the immediate unconditional release of Mr Nnamdi Kanu who has been detained for a year following his illegal kidnapping by both Nigerian security forces and the security forces of Kenya in Nairobi.

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