The activist had filed a suit challenging their unlawful arrest and detention by the lawless Department of State (DSS) on July 4, 2021 for wearing T-Shirts with inscriptions #BuhariMustGo to the Dunamis International Gospel Centre Abuja.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has adjourned the hearing of enforcement of fundamental rights suit filed by five #BuhariMustGo activists to April 25, 2022.
The activist had filed a suit challenging their unlawful arrest and detention by the lawless Department of State (DSS) on July 4, 2021 for wearing T-Shirts with inscriptions #BuhariMustGo to the Dunamis International Gospel Centre Abuja.
The matter which came up for mention before Justice Emeka Nwite of court 8 was adjourned to April 25 to enable the parties in the case be served with hearing notice.
The counsel to the applicants, Tope Temokun, told the court that they had in a letter dated October 18th 2021 applied for the consolidation of the case.
The activists are seeking enforcement of their fundamental rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, freedom of expression, freedom from discrimination and freedom of personal liberty.
They accused the secret police of violating their rights guaranteed under sections 38, 39, 42, of the Nigerian Constitution and Articles 1, 2, 6, 8, & 9 of the African Chartered on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (CAP A9) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The activists who are; Ben Manasseh, Emmanuel Larry, Samuel Gabriel, Anene Victor Udoka, and Henry Nwodo were illegally detained by the service for 30 days in an underground cell.
They were arrested by the church security guard and handed them over to the DSS who subjected them to torture and other degrading treatments.
The respondents in the case are the State Security Service (also known as the DSS), the Director-General of the SSS, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and the Pastor-in-charge of the Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Pastor Paul Enenche.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare their arrest and detention unlawful, also asked the court to award N10million, each, in damages, for the violation of their fundamental rights.
The suits are marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/631/2021, FHC/ABJ/CS/636/2021, FHC/ABJ/CS/637/2021, FHC/ABJ/CS/638/2021, and FHC/ABJ/CS/639/2021.
Among those arrested was a visually impaired person (Samuel Gabriel Iwatannaye), who is also a saxophonist.
It would be recalled that Justice Chikere had in July 26 2021 while ruling on the ex parte applications filled on their behalf by their lawyer ordered that the DSS should release the applicants with immediate effect but the service flagrantly disobeyed the order.
The activists were secretly arraigned on the offence bordering on criminal conspiracy with intent to cause a breach of the peace before a Magistrate court in Mpape who later admitted them to bail.