2023: Six PDP chieftains drag IGP, three others to court for human rights violations
Six chieftains of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have dragged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to court over illegal arrest and detention during the just concluded election in Ondo State.
The chieftains including Alhaji Taoheed Jimoh, Kazeem Sumonu, Tayo Oyedeji, Hakeem Sanuni, Afelumo Peter, and Ademuwagun Ganiyu through their lawyer, Mr. Adetoye Akinsemoye sought the enforcement of the fundamental human rights as enshrined in the 1999 constitution.
Aside the Usman Alkali Baba, the Inspector General of Police, the suit has a policeman, Faloni Felix, and Mr. Bode Obanla as defendants.
The major grouse of the applicants was that they were arrested by the police on the instigation of Obanla for alleged anti-party activities in Akoko Northeast local government area of Ondo state days before the March 18 House of Assembly election in the constituency.
Consequently, they sought “a declaration that the arrest, detention of the 1st Applicant from 15h day of March to 16th day of March 2023 is unlawful and constitutes grave violations of the Applicants’ rights to human dignity and personal liberty.”
Also, they asked for “a declaration the threat to arrest, call invitation being issued by the 1st to 3rd Respondents on the instigation, motivation of the 4th Respondent is unlawful.”
Besides, the applicants prayed for “an order of this Honourable Court restraining the Respondents from arresting, issuing a further threat to arrest, regular calls to any of the Applicants in respect of allegation levied/reported by the Respondents.”
Apart from an order of the court directing the respondents to pay the first applicant the sum of N100,000 as general and exemplary damages on account of the grave breaches of the applicant’s fundamental rights to freedom of movement, personal liberty, and dignity of the human person, occasioned by the illegal and unlawful acts of the Respondents, they asked for an order compelling the defendants to release the mobile phone belonging to the first applicant which was forcefully impounded.
The applicants in their grounds said
as citizens of Nigeria, they deserve personal liberty and the right to personal dignity, and on no account in this circumstance, should their movement be curtailed.
The court fixed March 22 for hearing the motion on notice
