The youths have been in detention of the secret police since July 4 for adorning #BuhariMustGo T-shirts at the church.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed Monday, 26th of July, 2021 to hear an urgent human rights lawsuit filed by five #BuhariMustGo activists arrested by Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Abuja and the Department of State Services (DSS).
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Honorable Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, refused to assign the case to a judge.
“The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court has failed to assign the lawsuit filed by the #BuhariMustGo activists arrested by Dunamis Church and DSS. The DSS as well still refuses to grant the activists access to their lawyers and families,” a source had told SaharaReporters.
The protesters had sued the Director-General of the DSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and Pastor of the church, Paul Enenche over their illegal arrest, detention and human rights violation.
The youths have been in detention of the secret police since July 4 for adorning #BuhariMustGo T-shirts at the church.[story_link align="left"]96618[/story_link]
The applicants are Henry Nwodo, Victor Udoka, Emmanuel Larry, Samuel Gabriel, and Ben Manasseh.
The youths are seeking an order of the court restraining the DSS and other respondents in the suits from violating their fundamental rights to freedom of religion and freedom of expression and the press as guaranteed under Sections 35, 38, 39, and 42 of the 1999 Constitution.[story_link align="left"]96446[/story_link]
They also want the court to protect their right to freedom from discrimination and personal liberty guaranteed under Articles 1, 2, 6, 8 and 9 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (CAP. A9), Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The applicants urged the court to order their immediate and unconditional release from the DSS custody.