By Vivian Okejeme Abuja–
Absence of the lead Respondent counsel in the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu’s fundamental rights violation suit before the ECOWAS court of justice, yesterday, stalled the hearing.
The lead counsel to the federal government, Dayo Akpata, was unable to make it to the court, because he was said to be having a meeting with the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.
Kanu, through his counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, filed a motion against the federal government, alleging violation of his rights.
He also demanded an order of the ECOWAS Court ordering the government to pay a sum of $800 million as damages for the alleged violation.
At the resumption of the court session on the matter, Counsel to the AttorneyGeneral, Abdullahi Abubakar, approached the court with a request for an adjournment on the grounds of the fact that Akpata who is also the solicitorgeneral of the federation, was having a meeting with the Vice President.
Abubakar further told the court that his team had not gotten some of the documents from a previous ruling in the ECOWAS Court.
Ejiofor, in his response, accused the federal government of “deliberately delaying the matter.
” He asked the court to compel the respondent to pay a cost of N2 million for what he described as “deliberate frustration of the matter.
” Abubakar, in his response, said the previous adjournment on the matter was not at the instance of the respondent, but based on a request from the court.
The three-member panel, led by Justice Hemeye Mahdmadane agreed to Abubakar’s submissions regarding the facts resulting in the last adjournment.
Consequently, the court adjourned till November 21, for hearing of all the applications and determination of Ejiofor’s motion for award of cost against the respondents.
Shortly after proceeding, Mr. Ejiofor, while addressing the newsmen on his client (Kanu) whereabouts, maintained that “only the Nigerian army can speak on Mr. Kanu’s current location.
” “The Military and Federal government are in a position to tell me where my client is.
We are going to settle it in court,” he said.
