Afresh suit has been instituted today Wednesday 31st January, 2018 at the Abuja Federal High Court against the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Abuja Commissioner of Police and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) over the enforcement of the fundamental rights of members of the Islamic Movement in the FCT.

This followed the brutal attacks of the past few weeks by the Nigerian police when members of the Islamic Movement in carried out series of an otherwise peaceful processions in Abuja seeking for the release of the leader of the Movement, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky from the illegal detention even in contempt of court.

The suit seeks to enforce the fundamental rights to life, freedom of conscience, religion and belief, freedom of expression and press, peaceful assembly and association and freedom from discrimination.

It among others seeks a declaration that the violent attack and dispersing of the peaceful processions of the applicants as well as the extra-judicial killings and causing injuries to the Applicants on the 8th, 9th, 10th and 12th January, 2018 by well-armed policemen on the orders of the 2nd Respondent who is an agent of the 1st Respondent at the Federal Capital Territory Abuja is a flagrant violation of their fundamental rights to life, freedom of religion, conscience and thought , freedom of expression and press and freedom of assembly and association guaranteed by sections 33, 38, 39 and 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended) and Article 8, 10 and 11 of the African Charter Of Human And Peoples Rights (Ratification And Enforcement) Act LFN 2004.

It further seeks an order of the Court restraining the Respondents and their privies from further violating all of the Applicants’ fundamental rights enshrined under the Constitution and the African Charter of Human And Peoples Rights in any manner whatsoever and howsoever without lawful justification.

Additionally, it seeks an order of the Court compelling the Respondents to pay to the Applicants the sum of Five Hundred Million (N500,000,000) Naira only being general and aggravated damages as a result of the violations of the fundamental rights to life, religion, conscience and thought, freedom of expression and press and freedom of assembly and association.

It will be recalled that during the free Zakzaky processions, members of the Nigerian police furiously attacked members of the Movement with tear gas, clubs, sticks and live ammunition resulting in the various degrees of injuries on many people including the applicants and the the extra-judicial killing of one Adamu Salisu and Muhammad Aminu Ibrahim.

A date is yet to be fixed for hearing.