A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a lawsuit filed against the #Endbadgovernance protesters, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Chiefs of Army and Defence Staff.
The suit, brought by 17 Nigerians in response to the nationwide protests, was struck out due to a lack of diligent prosecution. Justice Peter Lifu dismissed the case on Thursday after both the 17 plaintiffs and the 26 defendants failed to appear in court, and neither party was represented by legal counsel.
Despite the hearing being scheduled, the judge expressed surprise that none of the plaintiffs attended or were represented by an attorney.
The plaintiffs, who came from the six geopolitical zones of the country, had approached the court seeking an order to halt the protests. They argued that the demonstrations infringed on their fundamental rights, including freedom of movement, human dignity, the right to own property, and the right to economic, social, and cultural development, as well as national peace and security.
They requested that the court direct the DSS, IGP, army chiefs, and AGF to protect their fundamental rights by bringing the protesters under control.