Charley Boy sues Police, demands N500m for human rights infringement
Myke Uzendu, Oluchi Okoroafor, Abuja
The leader of the political pressure group, ‘OurMumuDonDo’, and music maestro, Charles Oputa popularly known as Charley Boy, and the co-convener, Deji Adeyanju of the ‘Resume or Resign’ group on Wednesday filed a N500million suit at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja against the Nigeria Police for alleged breach of their fundamental human rights and that of their groups during their recent protest in Abuja.
In the suit which the Inspector General of Police, the Attorney General of Federation were joined as co-defendants, the plaintiffs also alleged harassment, intimidation, assault.
They prayed the court to determine whether it was legally right for the Police to have used tear gas, hot water canisters, police dogs and physically assaulted them during a non-violent protesters at the Unity fountain in Abuja.
The Nigeria police had during one of the groups seat out programme, dispersed them with hot water canisters and dogs, leading to the collapse of their leader, Charley Boy. The group was also attacked at the Wuse Market Abuja by some mob in the market.
But the police had denied attack on Charley Boy while affirming that the group was dispersed with teargas and hot water canister to avoid the protest being hijacked by miscreants.
The suit marked FCT/HC/CV/3037/2017 and dated 4th October, 2017, was filed by their lawyer, Inibehe Effiong. It specifically prayed the court to determine “whether the use of teargas canisters, water cannon and wild police dogs by the agents and officers of the Respondent to attack, harass and disperse members of the OurMumuDonDo movement and Concerned Nigerians group during a peaceful demonstration at the Unity Fountain in Maitama, Abuja is not unjustifiable, illegal, unconstitutional.
Whether the Police action amounted to a breach of the applicant’s fundamental rights to the dignity of the human person, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association and contrary to Sections 34, 39 and 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Articles 5, 9, 10 and 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap. A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
Charley Boy is also seeking the following reliefs from the court: “An Order compelling the Police to publish a public apology to him in five National Newspapers, and the payment of the sum of N500m as general damages to him for the violation of his fundamental rights to dignity of the human person, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association on Tuesday, 8th August, 2017 at Unity Fountain in Maitama, Abuja,” the originating motion reads.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
