Appeal Court Upholds IPOB’s Proscription As Terrorist Group

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the 2018 ruling by the Federal High Court, which proscribed the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and classified it as a terrorist organization.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, a three-member appellate court panel unanimously ruled that the federal government acted within the law in banning the group, citing its activities as a threat to national security and stability.

Justice Hamma Barka, who delivered the lead judgment, dismissed IPOB’s appeal, ruling that all issues raised by the group lacked merit.

The ruling dismissed all grounds of appeal raised by IPOB, deeming them unmeritorious.

The initial proscription order was issued on September 15, 2017, by the late Justice Abdul Abdu-Kafarati of the Federal High Court, following an ex-parte motion filed by the then Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami.

The judge declared all IPOB activities illegal, particularly in the South-East and South-South regions, and prohibited any individual or group from participating in them.

Additionally, the court directed the AGF to ensure the order was published in the official gazette and two national newspapers.

A subsequent ruling on January 22, 2018, dismissed IPOB’s attempt to challenge the proscription, stating that the government had followed due process.

Dissatisfied with the verdict, IPOB appealed the ruling through its legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Chukwuma-Machukwu Umeh.

The group argued that the AGF misrepresented facts in his affidavit, claiming the proscription effectively labelled over 30 million Igbos as terrorists.

However, the appellate court dismissed the appeal, affirming the legality of the proscription.