The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has lodged a fresh suit before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, insisting that he must wear his Igbo attire, Isi-Agu, to court for his ongoing trial.
Kanu, who filed the case on Tuesday, said preventing him from wearing the attire would amount to an infringement on his fundamental human rights.
The IPOB leader, who is facing treasonable felony charges, accused the Federal Government of subjecting him to discrimination based on his ethnic group, noting that other persons on trial were allowed to wear clothes of their choice without any form of inhibition.
The suit was filed through one of his lawyers, Mr. Maxwell Opara.
Listed as 1st to 3rd Respondents in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/482/2022, are the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
Specifically, Kanu, is praying the court to among other things, declare that; “notwithstanding that the Applicant is detained in the Respondent’s detention facility, the actions of the Respondents in constantly preventing and/or commanding the Applicant to desist from wearing the traditional Igbo attire (Isi-Agu) or other attires identical to the Igbo Ethnic group of Nigeria; even when no law in Nigeria forbids the Applicant from wearing same and more so when it is a notorious fact that other inmates from other ethnic groups wear their traditional clothes,, constitute a subjection of the Applicant to full-fledged discrimination by reason of his ethnic group or place of origin, thus a gross violation of the Applicant’s right to freedom from discrimination as guaranteed under Section 42(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“Declaration of this honorable court that, notwithstanding that the Applicant is detained in the Respondent’s detention facility, the actions of the Respondents, jointly and severally, in constantly refusing and/or preventing the Applicant from having a change of clothes or subjugating the Applicant to wearing one particular cloth against his will, both while within their detention facility or on days when he is to appear before the Federal High Court or other designated place/s for his trial, constitute a subjection of the Applicant to inhuman and degrading treatment, thus a gross violation of the Applicant’s right to dignity of human person as guaranteed under Sections 34(1)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Articles 5 African Charter on Human and Peoples rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act CAP A9 Vol. 1 LFN 2004.