The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the designation of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organization.
In a unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel led by Justice Hamma Barka, the court confirmed the decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which had previously outlawed IPOB.
The appellate court stated that there was no justification to overturn the order obtained by the Federal Government, affirming that the government acted legally in proscribing the group due to its activities, which were seen as posing a threat to national security and the country’s continued existence.
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The court dismissed IPOB’s appeal, stating it lacked merit and resolved all issues against the organization.
The Federal High Court, under the late former Chief Judge Justice Abdul Abdu-Kafarati, had first declared IPOB’s activities illegal on September 15, 2017, following an ex-parte motion filed by then Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
The court specifically banned IPOB’s activities in the Southeast and South-South regions and ordered that no individual or group participate in the organization’s activities.
Justice Kafarati also directed that the proscription order be published in the official gazette and two national newspapers.
On January 22, 2018, the court dismissed IPOB’s motion challenging the legality of the order, which it claimed had been improperly obtained by the AGF.
Dissatisfied with these decisions, IPOB appealed to the Court of Appeal.
The group, through its legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Chukwuma-Machukwu Umeh, argued that the AGF had misrepresented facts and suppressed evidence, claiming that the proscription unfairly labeled over 30 million Igbo Nigerians as terrorists.