President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector General of
Police Mohammed Adamu have been sued over the attacks on peaceful protesters
against police brutality and corruption.
The suit by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project
(SERAP) followed widespread protests demanding reform of the Special
Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The group demands N200million for each of the victim of
police brutality.
Joined as Respondents in the suit are the Attorney General
of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN and Commissioner
of Police Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu.
In the suit number FHC/L/CS/1451/2020 filed Thursday at the
Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP seeks “an order for the immediate and
unconditional release of all those still being detained across the country
solely for peacefully exercising their rights.
It also seeks a court order directing the Federal Government
and Nigeria Police to immediately identify all victims of police brutality
during the protests and adequately compensate each of the victims and their
families with N200 million.
SERAP is seeking: “an order to protect and secure the
fundamental rights of peaceful protesters across the country participating in
the #EndSARS/#SARSMustEnd protests or any other peaceful protests, to wit:
their rights to life, dignity, personal liberty, freedom of expression and
peaceful assembly.”
SERAP is also seeking “an order of injunction restricting
the Federal Government and the police whether by themselves, their officers or
agents, from stopping the protests and from harassing, arresting, detaining, or
violating in any other ways the fundamental rights of Nigerians participating
in peaceful protests across the country.”
“The right to protest constitutes the very foundation of a
system of participatory governance based on democracy, human rights, the rule
of law and pluralism. Failure to respect and ensure the right to peaceful
protest is typically a marker of repression,” SERAP said in its affidavit.
“In a democracy, people must be given the freedom to come
together to express their opinions on issues they care deeply about. The role
of government is to facilitate that democratic participation, and not to
restrict or criminalise it.”
The organisation is asking the court for “an order directing
the Federal Government and Nigeria police to identify all perpetrators of
brutality and human rights violations against peaceful protesters across the
country, and bring them to justice without further delay.”
SERAP is also asking the court for “an order compelling and
directing the Federal Government and Nigeria police to disclose the total
number of protesters in the #EndSARS/#SARSMustEnd protests arrested across the
country, their places of detention and details of allegations against them.”
The suit was filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers
Kolawole Oluwadare and Opeyemi Owolabi.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
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