Ijaw group asks to be joined in suit seeking secession of Igbo from Nigeria

The Ijaw National Congress (INC) has requested to be joined as a defendant in the suit seeking the secession of the south-east from Nigeria.

The application for joinder was filed on behalf of the INC by Dickson Sofiyegha and Temedie Peter-Great before a federal high court in Abuja.

At the court session on Thursday, Inyang Ekwo, the presiding judge, adjourned the matter to March 4 to hear the joinder application by the Ijaw group.

Benjamin Okaba, national president of the INC, said the application for joinder was in line with the resolutions reached at the “all Ijaw summit” held on December 4, 2021, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, to decisively pursue and defend the right to self-determination through peaceful, lawful and non-violent means.

In October 2021, some Igbo lawyers had also filed an application for joinder in the suit.

THE ORIGINAL SUIT

The suit was filed in June 2021 by the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG).

CNG is seeking to stop the ongoing constitutional amendment and provide a framework for the south-east to secede from Nigeria.

The coalition had argued that allowing the Igbo to secede would end violence and destruction in the south-east.

The group had prayed the court to grant its reliefs in order to avoid a repeat of a civil war in the country.

The suit was filed by Nastura Ashir Shariff, Balarabe Rufa’i, Abdul-Aziz Sulaiman and Aminu Adam on behalf of the northern group.

The attorney-general of the federation (AGF), senate president, speaker of the house of representatives and the national assembly are listed as defendants in the matter.