An Oyo State High Court has ordered the Federal Government of Nigeria to pay a whopping N20 billion to Chief Sunday Adeyemo Igboho.
This amount is being paid as damages for the invading of his private residence and at the ruling, the court further dismissed an application filed by the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami that challenged its jurisdiction to hear allegations against Nigerian government agencies.
During the sitting, the court was expected to give a ruling on the N500 billion fundamental human rights case instituted by Sunday Igboho against the Nigerian Government and Department of State Services (DSS).
The counsel for Igboho, Yomi Alliyu had earlier filed a suit challenging how the DSS invaded Igboho’s house in Ibadan on July 1.
The suit was asking the court to declare that action of the DSS operatives as illegal and infringed on Igboho’s fundamental human rights.
The three respondents were the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), the SSS and the Director of SSS in Oyo State.
Before the ruling, the counsel for the AGF, Abubakar Abdullahi had filed an application challenging the ability of a state High Court to hear the activities of Nigerian government agencies.
Giving the ruling, the presiding judge,Justice Ladiran Akintola buttressed the ruling citing several judgements by the Supreme and Appeal courts stating that the invasion violated the fundamental human rights of Igboho as stated in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.
The presiding judge said;
“Unfortunately, this court is not a Father Christmas and cannot award the sum of N500 billion as requested by the applicant but the court retrained the respondent from arresting or harassing the applicant. He has right to his free movement as contained in section 35.1 (a)(b) of the 1999 constitution as amended.”
