Lawyer Sues FG, Security Agencies Over Alleged Moves To Stop Planned ‘Hunger Protest’

A fundamental rights enforcement suit has been instituted against the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and the security agencies in the country over alleged moves to stop the proposed ‘hunger protest’ scheduled to be held between August 1 and 10, 2024.

The suit designated FHC/L/CS/1350/2024 was initiated by a human rights lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, who listed the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Chief Of Defence Staff (CDS), the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), the Nigerian Army (NA), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), State Security Service (SSS) otherwise referred to as Department of State Security Service (DSS) and the Director-General, State Security Service, as the second to ninth respondents.

Ogungbeje, who is suing for himself and for other patriotic Nigerian citizens slated to embark on peaceful protests for good governance in Nigeria, stated that the legal action is brought under Sections 33, 36, 38, 39, 40 and 46 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Order 1 and XI Rules 1 and 2 of the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules 2009 and under the court’s inherent jurisdiction.

The human rights lawyer is asking the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, for, “A declaration that the planned forceful disruption, dispersing and deprivation of the applicant and other Nigerian citizens rights to peaceful assembly and association including rights to peaceful protests for good governance and reforms slated from the 1st of August 2024 to the 10th of August 2024 by the respondents through the deployment of armed state Security agents, armed soldiers and security operatives against the applicant and other Nigerian citizens without any court order is illegal, oppressive, undemocratic, unlawful, unconstitutional and constitutes a brazen violation of the applicant and other Nigerian citizens rights enshrined under Sections 38, 39 and 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended).

“A declaration that the deprivation of the applicant and other Nigerian Citizens rights to peaceful assembly and association including rights to peaceful protests for good governance and reforms by the respondents through planned deployment of armed state security agents, armed soldiers and security operatives in a bid to forcefully disrupt and disperse the peaceful protests slated from the 1st of August 2024 to the 10th of August 2024 without any court order is illegal, oppressive, undemocratic, unlawful, unconstitutional and constitutes a flagrant violation of the applicant and other Nigerian citizens rights enshrined under Sections 38, 39 and 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended).

“A declaration that the judgment delivered by this Honourable Court in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/1371/2019 Between Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje Vs Federal Government of Nigeria & Ors against the respondents on the 19th of March 2020 on the rights of citizens to peaceful protest, is still valid, subsisting and binding on the respondents until it is set aside.”

The lawyer is equally asking the court for, “An order compelling the respondents jointly and severally to tender an apology to be published in all the widely read National Dailies/Newspapers and to pay the sum of N1,000,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) only as general and exemplary damages against the respondents.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents, whether by themselves, their agents, officers, soldiers, operatives, officials, servants, or privies or anybody deriving authority from them by whatever name called from harassing, intimidating, arresting, detaining, inviting, arraigning, shooting, killing, charging, disrupting, dispersing, seizing or taking any untoward action against the applicant and other Nigerian citizens engaged in peaceful assembly and protests slated for August 2024 or any other dates on any fact connected with or related to the facts of this case.”
The suit has been slated for July 31, 2024 for hearing.