A Federal Excessive Court docket sitting in Lagos has ordered the Inspector-Overall of Police and the Lagos Convey Commissioner of Police to pay N10 million in damages to some #EndSARS protesters for the violation of their basic rights.
Trial mediate, Justice Musa Kakaki, in his judgment, held that the applicant/protesters maintain been unjustly stressed and their constitutional rights maintain been infringed upon while taking part within the fourth memorial rally held on October 20, 2024.
Justice Kakaki additional held that while regulations enforcement companies retain constitutional powers to retain uncover, such authority wants to be exercised contained within the confines of democracy and the rule of regulations.
The mediate affirmed that the candidates maintain been entitled to the constitutional lawful to freedom of peaceable meeting and affiliation as contained within the Nigerian Structure.
The candidates before the court include Hassan Soweto, Uadiale Kingsley, Ilesanmi Kehinde, Osopale Adeseye, Olamilekan Sanusi, and Omit Osugba Blessing, amongst others.
They maintain been joined by groups such because the Education Rights Marketing campaign, ERC, Rob It Abet Motion, TIBM, and Marketing campaign for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR.
The #EndSARS protesters within the suit had claimed that correct thru the procession, law enforcement officers fired dwell ammunition and slither fuel, brutally beat protesters, and utilized arbitrary arrests.
They added that the arrested demonstrators maintain been allegedly held in a Dark Maria (cell detention cell) for hours before being transferred to Panti Police Keep, where they remained in custody for four hours before their originate.
“The 1st – 3rd respondents deployed the full might of the police force against the applicants under the guise that they exercised their constitutionally guaranteed rights outside a location permitted by the 4th and 5th respondents,” Joseph Opute, a legal decent to the candidates, acknowledged within the suit.
In an affidavit, one in every of the victims, Hassan Soweto, the first applicant and coordinator of the Education Rights Marketing campaign, acknowledged that he and varied protesters maintain been overwhelmed, slither-gassed, and unlawfully detained at no ticket.
