Court fixes May 31 to hear Peace Corps’ N2bn suit against Police, others

THE Federal High Court in Abuja on  Monday adjourned till May 31, 2017 to commence hearing in the enforcement of fundamental human rights suit brought against the Police and four others by the Incorporated Trustees of the Peace Corps of Nigeria and its National Commandant, Ambassador Dickson Akoh.

The  Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN), slammed a N2 billion suit against  Police, Inspector General of Police (IGP), National Security Adviser (NSA), Department of Security Services (DSS), its Director-General and the Attorney General of Police (AGF) over the unlawful arrest and detention of its National Commandant  and 49 others in an unlawful raid of the organization’s headquarters in Abuja on February 28, 2017 by a combined team of Police and the DSS.

When the matter came up yesterday, counsel to the 3rd to 6th respondents, Tijani Gezali prayed the court for time to enable him regularise the court processes he filed on behalf of his clients, having  admitted that the name of the third respondent, that is the Director General of the DSS was omitted in the counter affidavit filed on behalf of the three respondents he is representing in the matter.

The counsel urged the court to grant him a short adjournment to enable him correct the anomalies on the counter affidavit, to specifically reflect the name of the third respondent.

The request for adjournment was not opposed by counsel to the plaintiff’s, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN) and other parties in the matter.

The trial Judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole subsequently adjourned hearing in the matter till May 31, 2017.

In the suit, filed by Chief Agabi, the plaintiffs are demanding for N2 billion as compensation for the embarrassment caused the Peace Corps of Nigeria and its Incorporated Trustees by the arrest and detention of its personnel in a commando style by security operatives and that the court should declare as illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional the arrest of Akor and other officers of the Corps as well as the sealing up of its Head office in Abuja and offices in the 36 States of the Federation.

They held that they have not committed any offence to warrant their arrest, detention and sealing up of their offices across the country as done by the defendants.

Apart from the above reliefs, the plaintiffs are asking the court to declare that they are entitled to fundamental rights to acquire and own properties, lawful assembly, freedom of movement, personal liberty and dignity of their human persons as guaranteed under sections 34, 35, 40, 41, and 43 of the 1999 constitution.

The plaintiffs also applied for an order compelling the respondents to un-seal the Headquarters of the Peace Corps of Nigeria and its offices nationwide, that the respondents should release properties seized during their unlawful invasion of their office and also prayed the court to restrain the respondents from further  disrupting their activities, including its meetings and orientation of its members.