#EndBadGovernance: Court strikes out suit against protesters, others

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday threw out a suit instituted against the anti-hardship nationwide protesters for want of diligent prosecution.

Justice Peter Lifu struck out the suit following the absence of the 17 plaintiffs who instituted the suit and 26 defendants who were in court but were without legal representation.

The plaintiffs, who are from the six geopolitical zones of the country, had asked the court for an order to terminate the protest because their fundamental rights to freedom of movement, human dignity, right to own property, economic, social, and cultural development, and right to national peace and security had been breached.

They asked the court to compel the Director General of the DSS, Inspector General of Police, Chiefs of Army and Defence Staff, as well as the AGF, to enforce their fundamental rights by bringing the protesters to order.

The plaintiffs cited states like Kano, Kaduna, and Jigawa, among others, as states where great destructions were allegedly carried out on public and private properties.

Some of the plaintiffs are Danladi Goje, Buky Abayomi, Adiza Abbo, Ocholi Aduku, Francis John, Nnamdi Eze, Chibuzor Ifeanyi, Fesco Olatunde, and Ishaya Istifanus, among others.

Some of the defendants in the suit are Omoyele Somore, Attorney General of the Federation, National Security Adviser, Inspector General of Police, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Staff among others.

Although the matter was fixed for hearing today, the presiding judge was surprised that not a single one of the 17 plaintiffs was present in court, nor were they represented by any legal practitioner.

Also, the defendants in the suit—the Take It Back movement, Nigerians against hunger, DSS, IGP, Chiefs of Army, and Defence Staff had no legal representation, and no excuses or explanations were offered to the court.

On this note, Justice Lifu pronounced that it had become evident that the plaintiffs had lost interest in pursuing the case and proceeded to strike it out.

“This suit is hereby struck out as it is clear that the plaintiffs in the suit have lost interest in going further with this case.”

Some Nigerian youths across the country staged a ten-day nationwide protest, that lasted between August 1 to 10, to express their dissatisfaction with the economic downturn in the country.