The 76 destitute people, who were deported by the Lagos State
Government and dumped on the Upper Iweka Bridge, Onitsha, Anambra State
on July 24, 2013, have dragged the Lagos State Government to a Federal
High Court sitting in Lagos.
7 of the deportees - Joseph Aniebonam, Osondu Mbuto, Osondu Agwu,
Nnenna Ogbonna, Emily Okoroariri, Friday Ndukwe and Onyeka Ugwu filed
the N1billion suit as the applicants, on behalf of the 76 others, while
the Attorney-General of Lagos State and the Commissioner of Police,
Lagos State are the respondents.
The victims want the court to declare that their deportation from
Lagos State of Nigeria to Anambra State of Nigeria on July 24, amounted
to a gross violation of their rights and a breach of the provisions of
the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
To declare that they, as Nigerian citizens are entitled to the
enjoyment of their fundamental rights, that their arrest and detention
in various camps, Oshodi rehabilitation centre, police cells and
prisons, within Lagos State for no offence known to law and without
trial and conviction by a court of competent jurisdiction, amounted to a
serious breach of their rights as provided for in the relevant sections
of the constitution, adding that such an action was illegal, null, void
and unlawful.
They noted that the court should mandate the first respondent to
re-absorb and accommodate the applicants within Lagos State of Nigeria
since they are Nigerian citizens and are entitled to reside in any part
of Nigeria, including Lagos State and stop them from further
deportation.
The victims also want the respondents to tender a written apology to
them by publishing the apology in the following newspapers: THISDAY,
Vanguard and Daily Sun continuously for 30 days, from the date of the
first publication, for unlawful and gross violation of their
constitutional rights.
The applicants noted that the issue for determination is whether the
action of the respondents in arresting, detaining and their subsequent
deportation from Lagos to Onitsha, Anambra State is justified in law, in
view of the supreme provisions of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria,
adding that if the issue is resolved in the negative and against the
respondents, the applicants are entitled to the reliefs sought.
The hearing, which will be presided over by Justice Anumogobia, is set to begin on January 29, 2014.
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