A’Court affirms IPOB’s proscription

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has upheld the proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra and reaffirmed its designation as a terrorist organisation.

The ruling, delivered on Thursday, affirmed a 2017 Federal High Court judgment that outlawed IPOB’s activities in Nigeria.

The initial proscription was issued by the late former Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdu-Kafarati, following an ex parte motion filed by the then Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN).

Dissatisfied with the ruling, IPOB appealed the decision in case number CA/A/214/2018, urging the appellate court to nullify its classification as a terrorist organization.

However, in a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Hamma Barka, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal dismissed IPOB’s appeal, ruling that the Federal Government acted lawfully in its proscription.

The court held that IPOB’s activities posed a threat to Nigeria’s national security and the safety of its citizens.

It also rejected IPOB’s argument that, as an unregistered entity in Nigeria, it could not be legally prosecuted.

Justice Abdu-Kafarati had previously ruled that IPOB’s claim of registration in over 40 countries did not exempt it from legal liabilities under Nigerian law.

As part of the proscription order, the court had directed the AGF to publish the ruling in two national newspapers and an online platform. IPOB’s motion to challenge the legal validity of the order was dismissed in January 2018.

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