A Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed February 27, 2016 to hear the fundamental enforcement rights suit filed by the Nigeria Union of Journalists against the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service and eight others over the alleged assault of one of its members, Yomi Olomofe.
Olomofe had been allegedly assaulted on June 25, 2015 at Seme Border, in the Badagry area of Lagos by some hoodlums, allegedly aided by some Customs officials.
The Lagos State Chapter of the NUJ, which filed the suit before Justice A. Anka, is seeking damages in the sum of N500m against the defendants for special and exemplary damages.
The applicant is seeking a declaration that the bodily and internally injuries inflicted on its member by the defendants amounted to a violation of his “right to life as guaranteed by Section 33 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”
The applicant also prayed the court to declare that the beating of Olomofe, while discharging his professional duties and obligations, constituted an infringement on his rights to freedom of expression and the press as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution.
When the matter came up in court on Wednesday, a lawyer from the chambers of Jiti Ogunye, Adelayo Banjo, announced appearance for the plaintiff but the defendants were neither present nor represented in court.
Banjo, however, told Justice Anka, that the defendants had yet to be served with the court papers by the plaintiff.
The judge, while adjourning till February 27 for hearing, directed the plaintiff to serve the defendants with the processes.
No comments:
Post a Comment