He said that the federal government the Army and other security agencies made flimsy and ineffectual denials of their involvement in the said invasion instead of proving otherwise.
The Judge put a poser to the Respondents: ” Assuming you were not responsible for the invasion, what steps did you take as Government and agents of state responsible for the protection of all citizens including the Applicant, to investigate the invasion and bring the perpetrators to book”?
Justice Anya held that “Nigeria is an integral part of the comity of democratic nations who must respect human rights”, adding that violence, adoption and torture do not resolve but fertilise conflicts.
The court further advised the federal government to embrace dialogue and political solution in handling the issue of Nnamdi Kanu in the interest of peace.
The court however declined Kanu’s prayer to be returned to Britain, his country of abode before his rendition from Kenya.
It also said that it lacked the competence to abdicate on the issue of Kanu’s “abduction” in Kenya and extraordinary rendition, saying that only Federal High Courts have jurisdiction over extradition matters.
According to the Judge, Kenya is outside the territorial jurisdiction of the court, hence, the court cannot entertain the issue of extradition.
The court also struck out the preliminary objections by the Respondents that a state High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain suit against agencies of federal government, ruling that the objections were “misconstrued and frivolous”.
Responding, Counsel to the Army, Amos Tory, said he was waiting for the copy of the judgement which he would transmit to his clients for study and determination of the next line of action.
In his response, Ejimakor who led Kanu’s defense team, hailed the judgement, saying it has proved that Kanu contrary to allegation, did not jump bail but only escaped for his dear life.
He said that “the judgement means that the bench warrant against Kanu in Abuja court has to be vacated”.
Ejimakor hailed the courage of the court in declaring the military invasion of Kanu’s house illegal.
On the Court’s decline from abdicating on the issue of Kanu’s rendition for lack of jurisdiction, Ejimakor said the legal team would consider other options after careful study of the judgement.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, Ugochinyere Ikenga, who said he was at the court in solidarity for Kanu, urged President Muhamnadu Buhari to heed the advice of the court, Igbo elders and other eminent Nigerians, to embrace dialogue and political solution in Kanu’s matter.
He called for the immediate release of the IPOB Leader, arguing that if the federal government could grant amnesty to bandits, it should not be reluctant to do same to a freedom fighter.
Ikenga, thanked Kanu’s legal team for its efforts, and urged senior Igbo lawyer to join the struggle for Kanu’s defense.
Responding also, the Leader of the Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, Mr. Uchenna Madu, applauded the judgement but said it looked like it had a dictation of the powers from above as some of Kanu’s prayers were turned down.
He said that Kanu’s represents head of the struggle for Biafra liberation, and that any persecution against his is a persecution against the entire Biafra.
Expressing full solidarity for Kanu, the MASSOB Leader said no amount of intimidation or persecution would suppress the agitation for Biafra.
Igboayaka O Igboayaka with other Igbo youth leaders was at the court to solidarise with Kanu.
Meanwhile, there was heavy security presence at the court premises as all roads leading to the premises were cordoned off, and human and vehicular traffics diverted to alternate routes.
ionigeria.com Nigerian Newspaper (Online)
