The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, against the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
A three-member panel of the appellate court struck out the case, ruling that the appeal was “academic” and had been “overtaken by events.” The suit, which had contested alleged violations of Mr Kanu’s fundamental human rights, including denial of adequate medical care, while he was held in DSS custody, was deemed irrelevant following his conviction and subsequent transfer.
Delivering the lead judgement, Justice Boloukuromo Ugo confirmed that since Mr Kanu had been convicted on 20th November and transferred to a correctional facility, the initial claims regarding his treatment in DSS custody could no longer be entertained. Justice Ugo noted that the appellant was now “lawfully remanded” elsewhere, making the requested transfer from DSS to a different prison irrelevant.
The ruling affirms a previous judgement by the Federal High Court, which originally dismissed the suit for lacking merit. During those proceedings, the DSS counsel, Idowu Awo, had countered the claims of inadequate care, arguing that Mr Kanu’s legal team had failed to present credible evidence that attending medical staff were “quacks.”
While the legal battle over Mr Kanu’s personal rights draws to a close, the wider economic consequences of his detention continue to plague Nigeria’s South-East region. Since his re-arrest, the weekly “sit-at-home” protest order enforced by pro-Biafra groups has severely impacted commerce, turning Mondays—typically the busiest day for trade—into mandatory shutdown days.
Reports indicate that the enforced closures have led to widespread economic devastation and massive capital flight. Consultancy reports suggest that the region has suffered staggering losses, estimated to be around ₦7.6 trillion (£7 billion) over the past four years, due to disruption in trade, transportation, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The sustained instability, directly linked to the agitation for Mr Kanu’s release, has actively discouraged investment. Samson Simon, the CEO of ARKK Economics and Data Limited, noted that the protests would “discourage investments coming into the region,” adding that existing businesses are often forced to relocate due to heightened insecurity.
The combination of the judiciary upholding the detention and the continued economic hardship underscores the complex socio-political crisis facing the region, where the pursuit of a political objective is met with severe financial costs for the populace.
