Deportees Slam N1bn Suit Against Lagos

ONITSHA — The Federal High Court 4
sitting in Lagos, presided over by Justice
Anumogobia is expected to commence
hearing on January 29, 2014 in a N1 billion
civil suit instituted against Lagos State
Government, by the 76 victims who were
deported from the state and abandoned in
Onitsha, Anambra State on July 24, 2013.
The suit was filed by seven of the
deportees, including Joseph Aniebonam,
Osondu Mbuto, Osondu Agwu, Nnenna
Ogbonna, Emily Okoroariri, Friday Ndukwe
and Onyeka Ugwu as the applicants, on
behalf of the 76 others, while the Attorney-
General of Lagos State and the
Commissioner of Police, Lagos State are the
respondents.
Deportees
Deportees
The suit was brought as a motion on notice
pursuant to Order 11, Rule 1&2 of the
Fundamental Rights (Enforcement
Procedure Rules), 2009, Sections 34 (1) (A),
35, 40, 45 (1), 42 (1), 46 (1) and 6 (1) of the
1999 Constitution, as amended; Articles 5, 6
and 12 of African Charter on Human and
Peoples Rights.
In the motion filed on their behalf, through
their legal counsel, Chief Barrister Ugo
Ugwunnadi, an Onitsha-based legal
practitioner., the applicants are praying the
court to declare that they, as Nigerian
citizens are entitled to the enjoyment of
their fundamental rights as provided for in
Sections 34, 35, 36, 37, 40, 41 and 42 of the
1999 Constitution, as amended.
The applicants are also seeking a
declaration of the court that their arrest
and detention in various camps, Oshodi
rehabilitation centre, police cells and
prisons, within Lagos State for no offence
known to law and without trial and
conviction by a court of competent
jurisdiction, amounted to a serious breach
of their rights as provided for in the
relevant sections of the constitution, adding
that such an action was illegal, null, void
and unlawful.
They also sought an order of the court to
declare that their deportation from Lagos
State of Nigeria to Anambra State of Nigeria
on July 24, amounted to a gross violation of
their rights and a breach of the provisions
of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
They noted that the court should mandate
the first respondent to re-absorb and
accommodate the applicants within Lagos
State of Nigeria since they are Nigerian
citizens and are entitled to reside in any
part of Nigeria, including Lagos State.
The applicants equally sought a perpetual
injuction restraining the respondents, their
agents, privies, subordinates, workers and
officers, howsoever called, from their
further deportation or refusing them free
entry into Lagos and free exit therefrom, as
well as an order mandating the
respondents to tender a written apology to
them by publishing the apology in the
following newspapers: THISDAY, Vanguard
and Daily Sun continuously for 30 days,
from the date of the first publication, for
unlawful and gross violation of their
constitutional rights.
Also in their written address, the applicants
noted that the issue for determination is
whether the action of the respondents in
arresting, detaining and their subsequent
deportation from Lagos to Onitsha,
Anambra State is justified in law, in view of
the supreme provisions of the 1999
Constitution of Nigeria, adding that if the
issue is resolved in the negative and against
the respondents, the applicants are entitled
to the reliefs sought.
- See more at: http://
www.vanguardngr.com/2013/10/onitsha-
deportees-slam-n1bn-suit-lagos/#
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