BREAKING NEWS: Appeals Court Upholds IPOB’s Terrorist Designation

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The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reaffirmed the Nigerian government’s designation of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organization. This decision, made on Thursday, comes after a protracted legal battle initiated by IPOB and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who sought to overturn the proscription established by the government in September 2017 under President Muhammadu Buhari.

The unanimous ruling by a three-member panel, led by Justice Hamma Barka, dismissed IPOB’s appeal, stating that the federal government acted within its rights to ban the group due to its activities, which were deemed a threat to national security. Justice Barka emphasized that there were no valid reasons to revoke the previous court’s order that recognized IPOB as a terrorist entity.

This latest judgment follows a controversial October 2023 ruling by a State High Court in Enugu that had nullified IPOB’s proscription, a decision that the Appeal Court has now overturned. The court’s ruling highlights the ongoing tension surrounding IPOB’s campaign for an independent Biafran state, which has been met with significant resistance from the Nigerian government.

IPOB’s legal team has been contesting the proscription for several years, but their efforts have largely been unsuccessful until the recent Enugu ruling, which was seen as a significant victory for the group and its supporters. However, with the Appeal Court’s latest ruling, the status of IPOB remains unchanged.

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