The ECOWAS Court of Justice sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, dismissed the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, filed against the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Alleging that he was tortured, assaulted and subjected to inhuman treatment by security operatives when he was arrested in 2015.
The regional court, in its judgment that was read by Justice Dupe Atoki, held that the IPOB leader failed to prove its allegations against FG, saying it had no reason to conclude that his arrest and detention were unlawful and arbitrary as claimed.
Though the Court acknowledged that the IPOB leader had the legal capacity to approach it to seek redress for any violation of his human rights, it, however, held that without a mandate, he lacked the legal personality to represent the IPOB before the Court.
However, the court struck out names of the second and third defendants, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and the Director-General of the Department of State Service, DSS, from the suit.
Saying that they were not signatories to the ECOWAS Revised Treaty, thus leaving only the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the sole defendant in the suit.