Human
rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, has sued President Goodluck Jonathan
and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr.
Mohammed Adoke, for N500m over an alleged violation of his rights by
soldiers deployed in Lagos.
The soldiers were depolyed in the state to quell protests against the removal of subsidy on fuel.
In a suit filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos on
Wednesday, Falana alleged that the soldiers acted on the authority of
the President to violate his constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of
expression, assembly and movement.
The applicant said he was on January 16 prevented by
the armed soldiers deployed by the first Respondent (Presdent Jonathan)
from expressing his opinion on the removal of fuel subsidy at the Gani
Fawehinmi Park.
He said, “At about 7:30am on January 16, 2012 I was
stopped at Maryland, Lagos by armed soldiers, who prevented me from
moving to the venue of the rallies and ordered me to return home.”
He asked the court to order the respondents to pay
him “the sum of N500m, being general damages for the violation of the
applicant’s fundamental rights to freedom of assembly and association,
freedom of movement and freedom of expression.”
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