Lagos Government Faces Lawsuit Over 3-Year Detention of #EndSARS Protester
Alleged #EndSARS Protester Sues Lagos Government for N70M Over 3 Years in Detention Without Trial
An alleged #EndSARS protester, Ismail Mufutau, has sued the Lagos State Government for N70 million in damages over his continued detention without trial for three years.
Mufutau was arrested at his residence in Ikorodu on October 23, 2020, and has been locked in the Kirikiri Medium Security Custodial Centre ever since.
In his lawsuit, Mufutau claims that his arrest and detention without trial violate his fundamental rights to life, dignity of human person, personal liberty, fair hearing, and freedom of movement.
He is seeking the following reliefs from the court:
A declaration that his arrest, harassment, intimidation, torture, detention, and continued detention without trial by the respondents is illegal, unconstitutional, unjustifiable, and constitutes a breach of his fundamental rights.
An order of the court discharging him and directing his release unconditionally from the custody of the Kirikiri Maximum Security Custodial Centre forthwith.
An order mandating and compelling the respondents to put in place a mechanism to rehabilitate and re-integrate him into society meaningfully, upon being released from the Kirikiri Maximum Security Custodial Centre Centre.
An order directing the respondents jointly and severally to pay to him the sum of N50 million as damages for the breach of his fundamental rights.
An order directing the respondents jointly and severally to pay to him the sum of N20 million as punitive/exemplary damages for the unlawful, illegal, unwarranted, and unconstitutional detention of him without trial since October 23, 2020.
The case is scheduled to be heard in the Ikorodu Judicial Division of the Lagos State High Court on November 14, 2023.