Veteran musician and Convener of #OurMumuDonDo movement Charles Oputa (aka Charly Boy or Area Fada) has slammed a N500 million lawsuit against the police at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
He alleged that his rights to dignity of the human person, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association were violated over the attack on the #Resume or Resign protesters on August 8.
In an originating motion dated October 4 and filed on the same day, counsel to Charly Boy, Mr. Inibehe Effiong, who is a Lagos-based legal practitioner and human rights activist, filed the suit at the FCT High Court yesterday against the Commissioner of Police and FCT Police Command.
Effiong, who spoke during a news briefing on the court’s premises, said the police invaded the venue of peaceful sit-out and attacked them using police dogs teargas and water cannon.
“The attack by the policemen was so severe that my client collapsed in the process and was rushed to the hospital
“Charly Boy was attacked because of claims that their protest over the President’s absence, which had exceeded 90 days on the second day of their daily sit-out, had gone international and brought serious embarrassment to the country,” Effiong said.
However, in the suit, Effiong is asking the court to determine whether the use of teargas canisters, water cannon and wild police dogs by the agents and officers of the respondent to attack, harass and disperse the applicant during a peaceful demonstration at the Unity Fountain in Maitama, Abuja on Tuesday, August 8, was not unjustifiable, illegal, unconstitutional and a breach of the applicant’s fundamental rights to the dignity of the human person, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.
He argued that the alleged attack was contrary to Sections 34, 39 and 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Articles 5, 9, 10 and 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap. A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
He urged the court to determine that having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case and the evidence before this court, whether the applicant is entitled to public apology, compensation, damages and other reliefs sought from the respondent.
A date is yet to be fixed for the hearing of the suit.
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