Court strikes out suit against #EndBadGovernance protesters

The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a suit filed against the organisers of the #EndBadGovernance protests.

The suit was brought by 17 anti-protest citizens who argued that the protests were infringing on their rights.

Among those sued was Omoyele Sowore, who leads the Take It Back Movement.

The applicants also sued the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other top security as mere nominal parties.

The plaintiffs, representing various regions across Nigeria, filed the suit on 13 August to halt the nationwide protests.

However, the judge, Peter Lifu, struck out the case on Thursday because of the plaintiffs’ absence from the proceedings, a development the judge considered a lack of diligent prosecution.

The judge expressed surprise and frustration when neither the plaintiffs nor the defendants appeared in court on Thursday, the day the suit was to be heard.

“This court is left with no option but to conclude that the plaintiffs are no longer interested in the proceedings,” Mr Lifu remarked.

Background

The plaintiffs had sought an order compelling the security agencies, including the State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigerian Army, to suppress the protests that ended on 10 August.

The protests began on 1 August against the economic hardship attributed to President Boal Tinubu’s economic policies.

However, the anti-protest citizens filed a suit arguing that the demonstrations violated their fundamental rights, including the right to freedom of movement, human dignity, and national security.

The plaintiffs included Danladi Goje, Buky Abayomi, and Adiza Abbo.

They justified their suit by pointing to incidents of alleged property destruction in states like Kaduna, Kano, and Jigawa.

They filed an ex parte application to seek a court injunction against the protest earlier.

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However, on 13 August, the judge, Mr Lifu, dismissed the application, ruling that it lacked merit.

He noted that the protests had already subsided as of the application was filed.

He added that there was no evidence to suggest that the demonstrators intended to resume their activities.