By SUNNY OKIM
The N50 billion suit instituted by a Lagos based lawyer, Joe Nwokedi Esq, against the federal government over the EndSARS protests of 2020 comes up on Monday, June 21, 2021.
News Express gathered that the suit has been slated for hearing at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos State.
News Express reports that the fiery human rights lawyer and democracy advocate, took the Federal Government of Nigeria and others to court over their purported unlawful roles during the End-SARS protests.
Joined in the suit are the Inspector General of Police, Chief of Army Staff, Lagos State Government, Rivers State Government , Plateau State Government, Imo State Government and the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.
Others are the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, Nigerian Television Authority, Mr. Adamu Garba, Central Bank of Nigeria and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police.
Nwokedi is urging the court to pronounce against the roles played by the respondents, their agents, privies, servants and others during the ENDSARS protests and to also restrain them from further harassing, molesting, intimidating, torturing and eventually killing Nigerians over their participation in peaceful protests.
Nwokedi informed News Express that he is seeking a Declaration: "That the Honourable Court shall nullify any action or directives by the Respondents, their agents, privies, representatives etc towards barring, banning or restricting Nigerians from engaging or participating in any form of protests (peaceful) in Nigeria or any part thereof, as that amounts to infrigent of the Rights of the Applicant (Himself) and other Citizens of Nigeria, and that also contravenes the provisions of Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended)."
He is also seeking "An order of perpetual injunction of the Honourable Court restraining all the Respondents, whether by themselves or through their privies representatives etc acting through any person or persons from harassing, further harassing, arresting, detaining END-SARS protesters, other protesters, the applicant or any Citizen of Nigeria either in Nigeria or elsewhere, based on their participation in END-SARS protest or any other protest whatsoever, as that amounts to gross contravention and violation of the Rights of the Applicant and other citizens of Nigeria as enshrined in Chapter 1V of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Amended.
"A perpetual order/ injunction of the Honourable Court mandating the Respondents, jointly and severally, to pay to the Applicant and other dehumanized, injured Nigerians as well as those that were shot, killed or suffered financial losses etc by the actions, utterances and deeds of the Respondents, their agents, privies et all the sum of 50 Billion Naira as compensation."
The matter was filed on the December 15, 2020 and slated for hearing on June 17, 2021 before Hon. Justice Liman of the Federal High 'Court, Ikoyi, Lagos State.