Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja Division on Wednesday granted the federal government in absentia last adjournment on the suit it filed three years ago to secure the proscription of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) as a terrorists organization.
The office of the Attorney General of Federation (AGF), had filed the suit in 2019 and secured the court order proscribing IMN as a terrorists organization in the heat of crisis that follows the killing of over 300 members of the movement in Zaria,Kaduna State.
But appeared to have abandoned the case after securing the order as the suit had suffered series of adjournment .
When the matter came up on Wednesday, as usual only the respondent counsel Marshal Abubakar who had filed an application seeking to vacate the proscription order was in court and announced his appearance.
Justice Inyang Ekwo noted that the matter was filed in 2019 but transferred to his court . He observed that the parties have since filed their papers but the plaintiff counsel was not in Court. Consequently, he adjourned the matter to December 3rd, stating that it would be the last adjournment on the instance of the plaintiff.
He said Abubakar pleading for a shorter date to move his application was unnecessary in view of the court crowded schedules.
The proscribed Islamic Movement of Nigeria ( IMN) is challenging the action of the Federal Government that banned it in the Country.
IMN is specifically challenging the Proscription Order made by Justice Nkeonye Maha on July 26, 2019.
The judge in her ruling designated the activities of the organisation in any part of Nigeria “as acts of terrorism and illegality.”
The court in the ruling also restrained “any person or group of persons” from participating in any form of activities involving or concerning the IMN “under any name or platform” in Nigeria.
And it equally ordered the Attorney General Federation (AGF) to “publish the order proscribing the respondent (IMN) in the official gazette and two national dailies.”
Justice Maha’s order following an ex parte application by the Federal Government marked FHC/ABJ/CS/876/2019 and filed in the name of the ‘Attorney-General of the Federation.