Kanu files fresh suit against FG, seeks termination of his continued trial

News Express |24th Oct 2025 | 138
Kanu files fresh suit against FG, seeks termination of his continued trial

Detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu recently appearing in court




The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has filed a fresh suit against the Federal Government, seeking permanent termination of his continued trial.

He also adduced reasons the trial should not be allowed to continue after being discharged by the Court of Appeal, describing it as a fragrant violation of the rule of law.

In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, a copy of which was made available to Vanguard through the family, Kanu highlighted four defects of his continued trial.

“These four defects — contempt of appellate authority, failure to take judicial notice of repeal, denial of fair hearing, and reliance on forgery — are all ex facie recordi and strike at the root of jurisdiction”, the suit read.

“Each of these defects is independently fatal; cumulatively, they render the entire trial incompetent and void”, the suit added.

Kanu argued that the Federal Government remains in flagrant contempt of a subsisting appellate judgment which had in the past, discharged him.

“By the Doctrine of Appellate Finality, that order terminated the trial absolutely”, he submitted.

“Until it was set aside by the Supreme Court (after fourteen months), it remained binding in praesenti and enforceable ex debito justitiae. See Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu (1986) 1 NWLR (Pt.18) 621; Rossek v. ACB Ltd (1993) 8 NWLR (Pt.312) 382.

“A contemnor cannot invoke the equitable discretion of a lower court while continuing in disobedience — ex turpi causa non oritur actio.”

Kanu also argued that he had been denied fair hearing, in violation of Section 36(6)(b)&(c) of the 1999 Constitution and Article 7(1)(c) of the African Charter.

He said that “after four years in solitary detention”, he was permitted only three hours of monitored consultation with counsel in the courtroom on the eve of entering his defence in a capital case.

“That is not fair hearing — it is judicial perversity”, the suit read.

On the defect of reliance on a forged medical report, Kanu said the Court’s ruling on his fitness to stand trial “rests upon a forged medical report dated 23 September 2025”.

He noted that the order directing the NMA to examine him was made on 26 September 2025, while the purported report was dated issued three days earlier.

Kanu insisted that “no such examination ever occurred”, adding that “reliance on that fraudulent document vitiates the ruling”.

Citing Madukolu v. Nkemdilim (1962) 2 SCNLR 341, Kanu said “where any condition precedent to jurisdiction is absent, the entire proceedings are a nullity.”

He, therefore, urged the court”to declare these proceedings void and to terminate the trial forthwith in obedience to the rule of law.” (Vanguard)




Comments

Post Comment

Friday, October 24, 2025 10:50 PM
ADVERTISEMENT

Follow us on

GOCOP Accredited Member

GOCOP Accredited member
logo

NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s leading online newspaper. Published by Africa’s international award-winning journalist, Mr. Isaac Umunna, NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s first truly professional online daily newspaper. It is published from Lagos, Nigeria’s economic and media hub, and has a provision for occasional special print editions. Thanks to our vast network of sources and dedicated team of professional journalists and contributors spread across Nigeria and overseas, NEWS EXPRESS has become synonymous with newsbreaks and exclusive stories from around the world.

Contact

Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos State.
+234(0)8098020976, 07013416146, 08066020976
info@newsexpressngr.com

Find us on

Facebook
Twitter

Copyright NewsExpress Nigeria 2025