Nigerian Court Rules Biafra’s Group Proscription Unlawful

A high court in Enugu, Nigeria has ruled that the 2017 proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) was unlawful and violated the country's constitution and the African Charter on Human and People's Rights. The proscription led to the government declaring IPOB a "terrorist" organization.

The judge ordered the government to publicly apologize to IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu and pay him N8 billion in damages for various infringements of his rights. The court emphasized that self-determination is not a crime and cannot be used as a basis for arresting, detaining, or prosecuting the IPOB leader. Kanu is currently being detained by Nigeria's secret police in Abuja.

The government has repeatedly accused IPOB of being responsible for attacks in the Southeast region, but the group has denied the accusations.

This article originally appeared on AllAfrica

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