123 'suspicious-looking' men from Jigawa sue Lagos Govt. for 'Unlawful detention'

It would be recalled that they were detained on Friday, August 30, 2019 by the Lagos State Environment Sanitation and Special Offenses Taskforce.

They were later released by the state police command on Saturday after undergoing security checks, following their apprehension along Mosholashi road in Agege area.

One of the “suspicious looking men”, Abdullahi Yakubu however, filed a suit at the federal high court, Lagos, on Monday, September 2, 2019 demanding N1 billion from the state government as a recompense for their detention.

Other respondents in the suit, according to TheCable, include the Lagos state commissioner of police, Zubairu Muazu; chairman of the task force, Yinka Egbeyemi; and the office of the attorney-general of the state.

Lagos State Task Force Chairman, SP Olayinka Egbeyemi ece-auto-gen

Represented by Abba Hikima and other lawyers in the suit with number FHC/L/CS/1519/19, the men claimed that the action of the Lagos state government was in violation of their right to free movement in the country as guaranteed by section 41 of the 1999 constitution.

ALSO READ: Lagos is now the most dangerous city in the world to live in

“An order of this honourable court awarding the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) payable by the respondents jointly and severally to the applicants as reparation,” it read.

They also prayed the court to compel the state government to tender a public apology following their detention.

“An order of this honourable court directing the respondents to tender unreserved public apology to the applicants,” it added.

They demanded the payment of N1bn as damages, as well as the release of their seized forty eight motorcycles, the truck conveying them, their wears and any other goods belonging to them in custody.