The Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, (a.k.a Sunday Igboho), who is currently standing trial in Republic of Benin, has filed a N500 billion suit against the Department of State Services (DSS) and Attorney General of the Federation(AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN), over the invasion of his Ibadan residence, on July 1, 2021.
This was contained in an application for an order enforcing his fundamental human rights filed yesterday on his behalf by his lawyers at the Oyo State High Court.
The suit, according to his lawyers, derived from Order 11, Order XI and XIL of the fundamental human rights enforcement procedure rules 2009, and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court as preserved by section 6 of the 1999 constitution.
It would be recalled that the DSS operatives had invaded Igboho’s residence in Soka area of Ibadan, between 1a.m. and 3a.m. on July 1, arrested 12 persons and killed two others in a gun duel.
The DSS paraded the suspects and ammunition which they allegedly claimed was recovered from Igboho’s house.
But the embattled Yoruba Nation activist denied that he kept ammunition in his house, adding that the secret police was trying to rope him.
In the suit, Igboho, through his lawyer, Chief Yomi Alliyu (SAN), is seeking orders declaring the invasion as a violation of his fundamental human rights, damage of his property as a violation of his fundamental rights to peacefully own property and wealth as well as N500 billion damages among others.
The sum was described as “exemplary and/or aggravated damages for breaching the applicant’s fundamental rights in the course of illegal and/or malicious invasion of his residence situate, lying and being at Igboho Villa. No.1, Dalag Street, Off Soka Bus Stop, Soka Area, Off Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ibadan.”
Igboho is also asking the court for a declaration that it was “oppressive, malicious, arbitrary and grossly unconstitutional for the 2nd & 3rd respondents to invade the residence of the applicant situate, lying and being at Igboho Villa, 1, Dalag Street, Off Soka Bus Stop, Soka Area, Off Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ibadan without announcing who they were and ask the applicant to open his gate but rather shot their way through killing two people including an elderly Imam doing Tahjud (night vigil), shooting at cars thereby destroying them and not sparing animals like cats and dogs in total violation of the intendments of the Fundamental Human Rights’ provision in CFRN, 1999 and African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement), Act, LFN 2010, protecting the-dignity of human person, sanctity of human life and privacy c citizens and their homes.”
It also urged the court to declare that “the respondents’ resolve in preventing the applicant from propagating his belief in association with other like minds in creating a Yoruba Nation and/or Oduduwa Republic for his Indigenous Yoruba people and hunting him with gun with a view to arresting him dead or alive when he has not called for war in achieving same is against his fundamental rights to freedom of thought, conscience and association since campaign for self-determination is recognized by Nigerian Law and international treaties of organisations to which Nigeria belongs.”
He prayed the court for an injunction restraining the respondents from arresting, harassing or disturbing him in any way that can violate his fundamental human rights.
