The suit filed at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court is marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1147/2021.
A 25-year-old Nigerian, Suleiman Sadi has filed a lawsuit against the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi for their roles in the unlawful killing and harassment of Shi’ite members who were on a peaceful procession.
The suit filed at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court is marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1147/2021.
Others joined in the suit filed on Monday, October 4 are the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Commandant-General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Attorney General of Federation (AGF) as third to sixth defendants respectively.
The suit, filed by the plaintiff’s lawyer, Bala Dakum, stated that the procession carried out on September 27 and 28 by members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), otherwise known as Shi'ites, was conducted peacefully until security agents attacked them without provocation.
According to the affidavit in support of the suit, the plaintiff claimed that security operatives had warned them against going ahead with the religious activities, even when it was peaceful.
Among the reliefs sought by the plaintiff is a declaration that under Section 38(1), 40, and 42(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), he and other Nigerian Shi’ite Muslims are guaranteed freedom to peacefully assemble, associate, and practise their religion in public in any part of Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
“That the arrest, detention, maltreatment, and killing of several Shi’ite Muslims who assembled at Gwarimpa, the FCT, Abuja on September 28, 2021, to carry out a peaceful religious procession by the agents of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th defendants or privies amounted to a violation of their rights to freedom of religion, association, and peaceful assembly.
"The applicant, therefore, urged the court to make an order of perpetual injunction, restraining the first to fourth defendants from further arresting, intimidating, shooting, killing or interfering with any peaceful assembly or peaceful religious procession by the plaintiff and other Nigerian Shi’ite Muslims in any part of the country, including FCT," the suit read partly.
He also sought an order directing the Inspector-General of Police to protect the Shi'ite Muslims whenever they are out to carry out peaceful religious processions in the country.
The matter had yet to be assigned to a judge at the time of filing the report.