A human rights lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje has sued President Muhammadu Buhari, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai and 10 others over last Tuesday’s shooting at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos.
Recall that armed men in military fatigues shot peaceful #EndSARS protesters drawing widespread condemnation home and abroad.
The suit was filed before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
Joined as defendants in the suit were the Federal Government, Nigerian Army, Chief of Defence Staff, Inspector-General of Police, Nigeria Police Force, State Security Service and the Attorney General of the Federation.
Others were Director-General of SSS, Lagos State Government, Attorney General of Lagos State and the Attorney General of the Federation.
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In the suit, Ogungbeje prayed the court to declare “the brutal shooting and killing and use of brute force against unarmed, defenceless and peaceful protesters/Nigerian citizens engaging in the #ENDSARS peaceful protest on October 20, 2020, at the Lekki tollgate was illegal, unlawful, undemocratic, oppressive, wicked and unconstitutional.”
The lawyer also prayed the court to compel the defendants to pay N10 billion as compensation to the victims of the shooting.
He argued that the shooting and use of brutal force against the peaceful protesters violated their right to life, fair hearing, right to peaceful assembly and association guaranteed under sections 33, 36, 38, 39 and 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.
Therefore, Ogungbeje prayed for an order of the court “compelling the immediate prosecution of all the culpable security agents, soldiers and persons directly or indirectly or remotely involved in the dastardly shooting and killing of unarmed, defenceless and peaceful protesters/victims of the #ENDSARS peaceful protests at the Lekki Tollgate on the 20th of October 2020.”