By Romanus Okoye, Lagos
Human rights lawyer Joe Nwokedi has filed a N50 billion lawsuit against the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Nigeria Police Force over their roles in the #EndSARS protests.
Other respondents in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation, Inspector General of Police, Nigeria Armed Forces, Chief of Army Staff, Lagos State Government, Attorney General of Lagos State, Imo State Government, Attorney General of Imo State, Rivers State Government, Attorney General of Rivers State, Plateau State Government, Central Bank governor, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Attorney General of Plateau State, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, National Assembly, Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and Nigeria Television Authority (NTA).
Nwokedi, in the suit filed at Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos State, seeks ‘an order of perpetual injunction, restraining the respondents either by themselves, their agents, privies, servants, representatives from further harassing, banning, threatening, molesting or infringing on the rights of Nigerians to a peaceful protest.’
He also asks the court to award the sum as exemplary, aggravated and general damages against the respondents and judicial pronouncement over the activities of some the state actors and their agencies.
According to him, ‘the cost is also for their alleged violation of the rights of Nigerians, gagging of free speech, unlawful freezing of accounts, malicious arrests, detentions and prosecutions, molestations, inclusive of mental torture and emotional trauma suffered by himself and other citizens of Nigeria as a result of the action of the Respondents, her privies, representatives, agents and servants.’
