Court affirms proscription of IPOB

A federal high court in Abuja affirmed the proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Governors of the south-east had proscribed the group and branded it a terrorist organisation.

Subsequently, the federal government outlawed the group and proscribed its activities in every part of the country.

Abubakar Malami, minister of justice, had filed an ex-parte motion filed motion asking the court to proscribe the the group.

Malami cited section 2 of the terrorism ‎prevention act and listed IPOB as the only respondent in the suit which was marked FHC/ABJ/CS/871/2017.

The matter was not heard in the open court but in the chambers of Abdu Kafarati, acting chief judge of the federal high court.

Kafarati, after listening to the application, granted the applicant’s prayer and consequently ordered the proscription of the group.

In protest, IPOB filed a suit to challenge the action. It asked the court to reverse the proscription order.

But in his ruling on Thursday,  Kafarati upheld the proscription order.

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB, has not be seen in public since September.