AMILOADED MEDIA HUB NEWS UPDATE
A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, awarded a N500 million in damages against Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi for violating the fundamental rights of Murtala Ajaka, the Social Democratic Party (SDP)’s candidate in the Nov. 11 governorship election in the state.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment, also directed Gov. Bello to tender public apology to Ajaka “for the gross and unwarranted violation” of his rights.
Justice Ekwo equally made an order directing the security agencies and their heads, listed as 2nd to 7th respondents, to provide maximum security and ensure Ajaka’s safety, including his property, within Abuja, Kogi and Nigeria before, during and after the governorship poll held Nov. 11.
The judge further made “an order of injunction, restraining the security agencies from arresting/abducting, detaining and/or further harassing, intimidating, shooting/threatening the applicant’s life and properties.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Ajaka had, in the originating motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/952/2023 dated and filed on July 11 by S.E. Aruwa, SAN, sought protection from the court.
The SDP candidate sued Mr Bello; Nigeria Police Force; I-G; Kogi Commissioner of Police; Department of State Service (DSS); DSS DG as 1st to 6th respondents, respectively.
The applicant also joined Director of DSS Command in Kogi; Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); Chief of Defence Staff; Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Naval Staff as 7th to 11th respondents in the case.
He said he firmly believed that as soon as the originating processes for the enforcement of his fundamental rights were served on the respondents, they would intensify efforts, albeit illegally, to force him to Kogi to be killed.
He said prior to this time, he had contested in the Kogi governorship primary election under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ajaka averred that to dissuade him from contesting the APC primary, the governor, who had announced his cousin brother, Alhaji Usman Ododo, as his successor, pointedly demanded that he stepped down.
“He (Bello) further accompanied this demand with threats to taking my life on failure of compliance,” he alleged.
The applicant said in view of the foregoing, he sought audience with the then President, Muhammadu Buhari, where he intimated him of these threats with a request for intervention and protection.
“The president, in response, requested that the applicant make a formal report to his official and relevant security agencies, which he did,” he alleged.
He further alleged that Bello’s schemes became unwieldy when he (Ajaka) moved to the SDP and secured the party’s ticket as its governorship candidate for the Nov. 11 poll.
“That after leaving the APC for the SDP, the applicant was still being threatened by the overt and covert acts of the 1st respondent (Bello)
“That the 1st respondent has co-opted the 2nd to 11th respondents in threatening the right to life, liberty and association of the applicant,” he alleged.
He alleged that on June 3, he left Abuja to pay courtesy visit to the Ohimege of Koto at KotonKarifi.
He said no sooner had he departed and was heading to Lokoja to pay a courtesy call at the palace of the Mai gari of Lokoja than the vehicle he was travelling in with was hit with hail of bullets in an unprovoked attack against him and his supporters.
“In the midst of the confusion, the vehicle the applicant was travelling in was overtaken by a vehicle with the insignia of the government blocked the expressway, and then the 1st respondent (Bello) physically highlighted from the vehicle while ordering the men of the 2nd and 5th respondents (police and SSS) to again open fire on the vehicle of the applicant and his motorcade.
“That several vehicles belonging to the applicant and his supporters were riddled with bullets and demobilised, two other vehicles branded with the applicant’s party (Social Democratic Party) Logo were set ablaze by the men of the 2nd and 5th respondents on the direct order of the 1st respondent,” he said.
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