IPOB: Pro-Biafra group to break out of proscription in January 2018

The group is fighting the FG's proscription of its activities in court.
 

An Abuja division of the Federal High Court has fixed January 17, 2018, to decide on the motion filed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) contesting the proscription of its activities by the Federal Government.

In the motion filed by the group's counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, dated September 21, 2017, he argued that the government's decision to ban the group's activities and brand it a terrorist organisation was illegal.

He said the separatist pro-Biafra group is a non-violent organisation in contrast to what has been claimed by the government, and that the group's leader, Nnamdi Kanu, was not allowed fair hearing before the decision to ban the group was reached by the court.

IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has been missing since September 14 (AFP/File)

Ejiofor prayed the Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdu Kafarati to set aside the court ruling, even though he was the one who granted the ex-parte application filed by the Federal Government to proscribe the group on September 20.

According to one of the 13 grounds in Ejiofor's motion, the court lacked the jurisdiction to deliver the judgement.