ECOWAS court dismisses Kanu's suit against FG seeking $800m compensation for 'inhuman treatment'

The ECOWAS Court of Justice has dismissed a suit brought by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, alleging torture, assault, inhuman treatment and the violation of his property rights by the Federal Republic of Nigeria.



Kanu, who is also the Director of Radio Biafra, registered under the regulatory laws of the United Kingdom and the United Nations, demanded $800 million in compensation.

Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Dupe Atoki, leading a three-man panel, held that Kanu had failed to prove the claims and dismissed the request for compensation.

The judge also ruled that Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest and detention were not unlawful and arbitrary as claimed by the Plaintiff.

While the Court acknowledged that Mr. Kanu had the legal capacity to approach the Court for the alleged violation of his human rights, it adjudged that without a mandate, he lacked the legal personality to represent the IPOB before the Court.