Femi Falana
Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, who was at the fore front of the recent Occupy Nigeria protests 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 to quell protests against the removal of subsidy on fuel.
According to the PunchNg:
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.”
“The order issued by the 1st respondent (President Jonathan) on the 16th of January, 2012 curtailing the applicant’s fundamental rights to freedom of expression, right to assembly and movement and enforced by the 2nd respondent through his armed agents is a violation of the fundamental rights of the applicant as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap A9) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
To read a previous post on this story, click here
What happens to the other Nigerians who were with him? Do they all get N500million each too? Do you think Femi Falana can win this case? Drop your comments below
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