Just In:Appeal Court Tosses Out Nnamdi Kanu’s Rights Violation Appeal

….Says Case Now Academic After Terrorism Conviction

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday dismissed an appeal filed by convicted terrorist and IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, over alleged violation of his fundamental rights while in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

A three-member panel ruled that the suit had no merit and had become purely academic following Kanu’s November 20 conviction for terrorism and his subsequent sentence of life imprisonment by a Federal High Court.

Delivering the lead judgement, Justice Boloukuromo Moses Ugo held that Kanu’s claims—ranging from alleged violations of his rights to human dignity, quality medical care, and freedom of religion—were no longer legally actionable since he is now a convicted prisoner remanded in Sokoto prison.

Justice Ugo noted that Kanu’s counsel, Maxwell Opara, confirmed at the start of the proceedings that his client was already in prison custody, making his request to be transferred from DSS detention to Kuje prison irrelevant.

The court added that since Kanu had earlier expressed a preference for prison custody, his current detention in a correctional facility satisfied the relief he had sought before his conviction.

The appeal was filed against an earlier judgement delivered on July 3 by now-retired Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, who had dismissed Kanu’s rights enforcement suit for lack of proof.

The Director-General of the DSS, the DSS itself, and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) were listed as respondents in the appeal.