The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reserved its judgment on the Indigenous People of Biafra’s (IPOB) appeal against its designation as a terrorist organization by the Federal Government.
On Thursday, a three-member panel led by Justice Hamma Barka adjourned the hearing after both the Federal Government and IPOB presented their final briefs.
IPOB’s lawyer, Chukwuma-Machukwu Umeh, contended that the organization was denied a fair hearing. In response, the Federal Government’s lawyer, Oyilade Koleosho, dismissed these claims and urged the court to reject the appeal.
The Federal High Court proscribed IPOB on September 15, 2017, declaring its activities illegal, particularly in the South-East and South-South regions. The court’s ruling forbade any participation in IPOB’s activities and instructed the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to publish the proscription order in the official gazette and two national newspapers.
IPOB alleged that the AGF misrepresented facts in the affidavit evidence and argued that the proscription amounted to labeling over 30 million Nigerians of Igbo descent as terrorists.
The group asserted that the lower court judge made a legal error by failing to consider evidence indicating that IPOB was not a violent organization. IPOB maintained that its actions did not constitute acts of terrorism and were a legitimate exercise of its constitutional right to self-determination.
