Osun Election: 700 APC members
sue Army, Police, SSS over arrest
Premium Times - 1 day ago

TOP NEWS

Seven hundred members of All
Progressives Congress, APC, have
instituted about 24 fundamental
rights enforcement applications
against the Nigerian Army, Nigerian
Police Force, NPF, and the State
Security Service, SSS, claiming a total
of N47.2 billion as damages for their
arrest, detention and brutalization
during the August 9 governorship
election in Osun State.
Among the applicants are the
National Publicity Secretary of APC,
Lai Mohammed; National Legal
Adviser, Muiz Banire; Attorney
General of Osun State, Wale Afolabi;
and the Commissioner for
Agriculture, Wale Adedoyin.
Others are the Regent of Iloko Ijesha,
Sola Ogunsanya; member
representing Ilesha West in the Osun
State House of Assembly; Folarin
Fafowora, a businessman; and Tijani
Oladosu.
In the originating motions filed on
their behalf by Femi Falana, a Senior
Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, at the
Federal High Court, Osogbo, Osun
State, the applicants, who came from
more than 20 local government areas
of the state prayed for the following
orders:
-A declaration that the arrest and
detention of the applicants by officers
of the Respondents on the 8th and
9th days of August, 2014 is
unconstitutional, illegal, null and void
and in violation of the Applicant’s
fundamental right to personal liberty
as guaranteed by
sections 34 and 35 of the Constitution
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
1999 and Articles 5 and 6 of the
African Charter on Human and
People’s Rights, Cap A9, LFN, 2004.
-A declaration that the arrest and
manhandling of the applicants by
officers of the Respondents on the 8th
and 9th days of August, 2014
constitute a violation of the
Applicants’ freedom from torture,
inhuman and degrading treatment as
guaranteed by Section 34 of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria, 1999.
-A declaration that the prevention of
the Applicants from participating in
the governorship election that took
place on Saturday the 9th day of
August, 2014 and voting for the
candidate(s) of their choice is illegal
and unconstitutional as it violates
Articles 13(1)
and 20 of the African Charter on
Human and Peoples Rights
(Ratification and Enforcement) Act,
Cap. A9, LFN 2004.
They also sought “an Order directing
the Respondents to pay aggravated
damages/compensation in the sum of
N100, 000,000.00 (One Hundred
Million Naira) to each Applicant and
tender public apology to each of the
Applicants for the aforesaid illegal
and unconstitutional violations of the
Applicants’ fundamental rights.”
Some of the applicants said they were
arrested on the night that preceded
the Election Day, stripped naked and
severely beaten by the officials of the
Respondents.
They also said they were detained in
different places until the election was
over on August 9, 2014 and as a
result were not allowed to participate
in and vote for the candidates of their
choices.

The applicants alleged that they were
all arrested because of their
membership of APC and support for
the governor of the state, Rauf
Aregbesola, who was the candidate of
the party in the election.
Lamenting their ordeal, Mr. Afolabi
said it was “an indication that the
democratic process still has a long
way to go.”

The chairman of the APC in Osun
State had told PREMIUM TIMES last
week that about 50 of the party
faithful were still in detention several
days after the election.
Media reports had put the number of
security personnel deployed by the
Federal Government in Osun State
during the election at over 65,000.

They were drawn from the Nigerian
Army, NPF, Nigerian Security and
Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and the
SSS, whose members were hooded.
The massive deployment raised
suspicion in some quarters that it
was meant to provide support for the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which
controls the Federal Government.
Both President Goodluck Jonathan
and the Acting Inspector General of
Police, Suleiman Abba, had defended
the action, saying it was meant to
forestall malpractices and
breakdown of law and order.
The National Assembly has initiated
an amendment to the Electoral Act to
limit the roles of the military to
“securing the distribution and
delivery of electoral materials.”

Speaking at the public hearing
conducted by the House of
Representatives Committee on
Electoral Matters last week, the
Chairman of the Independent
National Electoral Commission,
Attahiru Jega, said the proposed law
would ensure that a level-playing
field was provided for all participants
in the electoral process.
He added that the law was in
agreement with what obtains all over
the world.

Premiumtimes

These janjaweedeans have taken their comedy club to another level

meforyou1: These janjaweedeans have taken their comedy club to another level

Hehehehe...

APC looking for attention since 1997, if they are broke they should say it because this method of trying to extort money from FG won't work atol FG won't even give them N5

Seriously I think APC is looking for money to prosecute their 2015 grand plans and scheming.

They feel this one is just a throw they can easily catch.

ogbonnajoe: Seriously I think APC is looking for money to prosecute their 2015 grand plans and scheming.

They feel this one is just a throw they can easily catch.

U're a slowpoke! Wen did challenge abuse of ur right in d court of law becoms a sin? U're brainwashed n bias. I'm certain it wld hv bn ok it were to b PDP bt nt wen its APC...grow up MUMU 1st grade

Dis APC'S r seriously broke...u av won d election through ur rigging and we have accept it...whats nw ur problem...billion ko,,cillion ni

This is a very necessary action. Those clowns should pay for allowing themselves to be used as PDP political weapon. Despite all thier stunts....APC won, but the unlawful detention and arrests should not be swept under the carpet.