In the suit, the applicants sought an order directing the respondents to immediately release them unconditionally.
Oniarah and Azuekor said they are being detained at the SSS office in Abuja and have been falsely tagged as robbers in national newspapers.
According to the applicants, who are members of the Liberation Movement of the Urhobo People (LIMUP), a faceless group in a media publication gave the Federal Government a 60-day ultimatum to develop Urhobo land, using LIMUP’s name, which led to their arrest.
They prayed for an order directing the respondents to pay them aggravated damages for their illegal arrest and continued detention.
They joined the SSS Director-General and the Attorney-General of the Federation as second and third respondents.
The applicants sought a declaration that their arrest and continued detention by the SSS is illegal, unlawful, null and void as it amounts to a breach of their fundamental rights as enshrined in sections 34, 35 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The first applicant’s father, Duke Oniarah Ibruvwe, who swore to the supporting affidavit because his son could not do so in detention, said their community, Kokori , is a host of flow stations and oil wells belonging to the Shell Petroleum Development Company and other multi-national oil companies.
He claimed that the only land owned by his father – the Kokori/Ehrioke Oil field – was taken over by Shell for oil exploration after the company promised the community rapid infrastructural development, health care services, scholarships/training, as well as job opportunities.
Ibruvwe said following the oil exploration, the community’s ecosystem had been devastated, with the indigenes faced with hardship due to the destruction of economic crops and aquatic lives.
The first applicant, he said, led several protests to the council of elders, Shell and prominent political office holders from Kokori community, all of which proved ineffectual.
Ibruvwe said to fight for their people’s emancipation, the applicants and other youths from other oil producing communities in Urhobo land formed the Liberation Movement of the Urhobo People (LIMUP).
He said following a promise by the state government to look into their complaints, the applicants were shocked when another group claiming to be members of LIMUP, in a publication, gave the Federal Government 60 days ultimatum to carry out massive development in the oil producing communities in Urhobo land.
Ibruvwe said the applicants were subsequently invited by the representative from the Delta State government for a meeting in Port Harcourt to explain their purported involvement in the ultimatum publication.
“As they went on September 25 to clear their names, they were allegedly arrested by SSS officers, “ he added.
Ibruvwe said contrary to reports that the applicants were robbers and kidnappers, they are liberators and freedom fighters struggling to improve the living standards of impoverished Urhobo people.
He said the applicants have not committed any offence, have no criminal record, are being detained for an offence they did not commit and have not been charged to court or informed of the nature of the offence against them.
The deponent added that the SSS are refusing the detainees access to their lawyers and family. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Illegal detention ko, Illegal detention Ni. So your gang detained Senior Advocate Ozehome Legally. In fact,Nigeria is turning to a state were impunity reigns supreme - Kelvin talking about enforcement of human right.Human right according to the constitution of Kelvin's Gang A bi!
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