23 ACN members sue IG over restrictionof movement

LOKOJA-Twenty-three members and
leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria,
ACN, have instituted two suits totalling
N15 billion against Inspector-General of
Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, before a
Federal High Court sitting Lokoja, Kogi
State, for allegedly preventing them from
entering Abuja.
The ACN members are contesting the
restriction of their freedom of movement
on September 21 and on October 25 and
26, was unconstitutional, illegal, null, void
and a violation of their rights as
guaranteed by Section 41 of the 1999
Constitution (as amended) and Article 12
(1) of the African Charter on Human
and Peoples’ Rights.
The plaintiff, through their counsel, Mr
Kunle Adegoke, in the first suit, are
asking for compensation of N10 billion
from Ringim and N5 billion against the
defendant in the second suit.
They want the court to declare that the
act of the police, led by Ringim, in
holding them hostage for hours under
harsh weather conditions without any
lawful or justified basis, was
unconstitutional and illegal.
They also want the court to hold that
police officers restricting their freedom of
movement and preventing them from
entering Abuja on account of their
membership of ACN was in gross violation
of their right to freedom from
discrimination.
The N10 Billion compensation, they said,
is for the alleged gross violation of their
rights to freedom of movement, right to
dignity of human persons and right to
freedom from discrimination.
Plaintiffs in the suit are Mr Rasaq
Folami, Omotosho Oluwaseyi, Olanrewaju
Savage, Kolapo Olatunji, Theophilus
Kolawole, Olawale Aina and Hakeem
Subair.
Others are Babajide Alli-Balogun, Yakub
Akilagun and Lukman Subair, Omoniyi
Olayemi, Hon. Babatunde Abodunrin,
Ayo Adesanya, Segun Desalu, Babatunde
Lawson, Azuka Igbue and Lawal Yusuf.