The Court of Appeal in Abuja has struck out an appeal filed by convicted IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, declaring that the case had lost relevance following his recent conviction and life sentence for terrorism by a Federal High Court on November 20.
A three-member panel of the appellate court held that Kanu’s allegations of fundamental rights violations, including denial of human dignity, inadequate medical care, and restrictions on his freedom of religion, could no longer be entertained in light of his new status as a convicted inmate now held in a correctional facility.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Boloukuromo Moses Ugo noted that Kanu’s lawyer, Maxwell Opara, confirmed at the onset of the hearing that his client was currently detained at the Sokoto prison.
The court therefore ruled it could not consider Kanu’s request to be moved from the Department of State Services (DSS) custody to Kuje prison.
Justice Ugo further pointed out that Kanu had previously expressed a preference for prison custody over DSS detention, making his fresh requests irrelevant after his conviction and transfer to the correctional service where he had originally sought to stay.
The decision stemmed from Kanu’s appeal challenging the July 3 ruling of retired Federal High Court judge, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, who dismissed his fundamental rights enforcement suit for lack of proof.
The Director General of the DSS, the DSS, and the Attorney General of the Federation were listed as respondents in the matter.
