Billionaire Kidnapper, Evans’ Former Lawyer, Ogungbeje Files N1.5bn Lawsuit Against FG And Security Agencies Over Protest Suppression
Olukoya Ogungbeje, a Lagos-based lawyer who is well known for being billionaire kidnapper, Evans’ defence attorney has filed a N1.5 billion lawsuit against the Federal Government of Nigeria and several security agencies, alleging attempts to prevent a planned protest against the government.
Filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, the lawsuit names the Federal Government as the primary respondent, along with the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Nigerian Army, the Inspector General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Security Service, and the Director General of the State Security Service.
The lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje stated that the protest, scheduled from August 1 to 10, 2024, aims to highlight the level of hardship in the country. He claims that the security agencies’ attempts to prevent the protest violate his fundamental human rights.
The lawyer is seeking N1.5 billion in damages and a court order restraining the respondents from interfering with the protest. The reliefs sought include:
– A declaration that the planned forceful disruption, dispersal, and deprivation of the rights of the applicant and other Nigerian citizens to peaceful assembly and association, including peaceful protests for good governance and reforms from August 1 to 10, 2024, by the respondents through the deployment of armed state security agents, soldiers, and operatives without any court order, is illegal, oppressive, undemocratic, unlawful, unconstitutional, and a violation of the rights enshrined under sections 38, 39, and 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended).
– A declaration that the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/1371/2019, which upholds the rights of citizens to peaceful protest, remains valid, subsisting, and binding on the respondents until set aside.
The lawyer also seeks:
– An order compelling the respondents to jointly and severally tender an apology published in all widely read national newspapers and to pay N1 billion in general and exemplary damages.
– An order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents and their agents from harassing, intimidating, arresting, detaining, inviting, arraigning, shooting, killing, charging, disrupting, dispersing, seizing, or taking any untoward action against the applicant and other citizens engaged in peaceful assembly and protests.
In a 34-paragraph affidavit supporting the suit, Ogungbeje affirmed his duty as a legal practitioner to protect and defend the Constitution from any contravention or infraction. He emphasized that the Constitution provides for seeking redress in the event of any violation or likely violation of fundamental rights.
The hearing of the suit is scheduled for July 31, 2024.
