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ABUJA COURT REFUSES TO VACATE ORDER RESTRICTING PROTESTERS TO NATIONAL STADIUM
A Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, has refused to vacate an order restricting #EndBadGovernancelnNigeria protesters in the Federal Capital Territory to the National Stadium, Abuja.
The presiding judge, Sylvanus Oriji, rather opted to return the case file to the Chief Judge of the High Court for re-assignment to regular court for adjudication.
The suit marked: FCT/HC/CV/3472/2024 was instituted by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, against organisers of the #EndBadGovernance protests led by Omoyele Sowore and others.
Listed as defendants apart from Sowore are Damilare Adenola, Adama Ukpabi and Tosin Harshogba, while the other defendants are unknown.
The Inspector General of Police, FCT Commissioner of Police, Director General of the State Security Service, Commandant-General of Nigeria Civil Defence Corps, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff were listed as 1st to 12 respondents.
The FCT Minister had sought an order from the court to confine the protesters to the National Stadium, saying it was to prevent a “breakdown of law and order”, as well as the destruction of lives and property in the nation’s capital during the protests.
Justice Orji had granted the request which saw the protesters restricted to the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, Justice Sylvanus Oriji demanded explanations from counsel to the FCT Minister, George Ibrahim, whether there was still a need to proceed with the suit as the August 1st – 10th duration of the protest had elapsed.
Ibrahim, in his explanation, told the court that the protesters had in a letter written to the FCT Minister, asserted that the protest might still go beyond August 10, adding that Sowore and the other defendants had also hinted at fresh protests.
The lawyer therefore said that it would be in the interest of peace for the July 31 order to last till the hearing and determination of his motion on notice.
Ibrahim informed the court that counsel to the defendants, Inibehe Effiong, on Monday, September 2, served him four different voluminous processes on September 2 and requested for an adjournment to enable him to study the processes and respond appropriately.
Counsel to Sowore and three others, Inibehe Effiong, did not object to the adjournment request but applied that the restraining order against his clients be discharged, since the date for the order had elapsed on August 10.
Justice Oriji, after taking arguments from both parties, reminded them that the FCT high court’s vacation would terminate on September 13, making way for the resumption of normal court sitting and as such, he would not be able to fully determine the matter within that time.
He therefore held that he would be returning the case file to the Chief Judge for re-assignment to normal courts.
