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Appeal Court affirms IPOB as terrorist organisation

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reaffirmed the Federal High Court’s 2018 decision to proscribe the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist group. The three-member panel delivered a unanimous judgment on Thursday, ruling that the Federal Government acted within its legal rights by outlawing the group due to its activities, which were deemed a threat to national security.

Justice Hamma Barka, who authored the lead judgment, dismissed IPOB’s appeal, asserting that the grounds raised by the group were without merit. The court rejected IPOB’s argument and upheld the previous ruling.

The Federal High Court had initially declared IPOB illegal on September 15, 2017, after the then Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, filed an ex-parte motion. The court ruled that IPOB’s activities, particularly in the South-East and South-South regions, were unlawful, and ordered a nationwide ban on participation in any of the group’s actions. The judgment also instructed the AGF to publish the ruling in the official gazette and two national newspapers.

In a follow-up decision on January 22, 2018, the court dismissed IPOB’s challenge to the proscription, affirming the government’s adherence to due process. Unhappy with the outcome, IPOB, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Chukwuma-Machukwu Umeh, appealed the ruling, arguing that the proscription unfairly branded over 30 million Igbo people as terrorists.

However, the Appeal Court upheld the original ruling, reinforcing the legality of IPOB’s ban.

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Appeal Court affirms IPOB as terrorist organisation

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