Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, will today hear the application seeking the enforcement of fundamental rights filed by human rights activists, Omoyele Sowore and Olawale Bakare.
The suits marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1407/2019 and FHC/ABJ/CS/1428/2019 were filed on November 15 and 20, 2019 respectively.
They asked the court to declare that their unlawful detention by the Department of State Services was “illegal as it violates their fundamental right to liberty”.
Sowore and Bakare also asked the court to order the Department of State Services to pay them N500m each as damages for their detention and violation of fundamental rights.
They also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from further violating their fundamental rights in any manner whatsoever and howsoever without lawful justification.
Sowore was arrested on August 3, 2019 for calling on Nigerians to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to demand a better country from the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, while Bakare was arrested on August 5 for participating in the protest.
The two men were held in custody from that time until December 2019 when they were finally released on bail.
Joined in the suit is the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
