Appeal Court Confirms IPOB’s Terrorist Designation In Landmark Ruling

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the 2018 judgment of the Federal High Court, which declared the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) a terrorist organization and banned its activities.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In a unanimous decision delivered on Thursday, the three-member panel ruled that the federal government acted lawfully in proscribing IPOB, citing its activities as a threat to national security and public stability. Justice Hamma Barka, who delivered the lead judgment, dismissed IPOB’s appeal, stating that all the issues raised lacked merit.

The proscription order, initially issued on September 15, 2017, by the late Justice Abdul Abdu-Kafarati of the Federal High Court, followed an ex-parte motion filed by then-Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. The order declared IPOB’s activities illegal, particularly in the South-East and South-South regions, and prohibited any participation in its operations. The court also directed that the order be published in the official gazette and two national newspapers.

IPOB’s earlier attempt to overturn the proscription was dismissed on January 22, 2018, with the court affirming that the government followed due process. Dissatisfied with this outcome, IPOB filed an appeal through its legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chukwuma-Machukwu Umeh, arguing that the proscription falsely labeled over 30 million Igbos as terrorists.

However, the Court of Appeal rejected these arguments and upheld the legality of the proscription, affirming that the federal government acted within its rights.

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