Igbo Deportees Loses N2Billion Lawsuit Against Lagos State Government Over Illegal Deportation

Dec 6, 2014 – Lagos Court Dismissed N2B Lawsuit Filed Against LASG By Igbo Deportees

Igbo Deportees Loses N2Billion Lawsuit, Legal Case Against Lagos State Government Over Illegal Deportation

A Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed a legal case filed by some Igbos who claimed they were deported to their respective states from Lagos.

A judgement in favour of Lagos State Government was entered by Justice Musa Kurya yesterday.

According to him, the lawsuit lacked merit and the allegations could not be substantiated.

The applicants: Rosemary Nathaniel, Friday Ndukwe, Grace Igbochi, Ugulori Tutua, Chinyere Nicholas, and Osondu Mbuto had sought a declaration that their arrest, remand and forceful deportation from Lagos to Onitsha in 2012, on the ground that they were non-indigenes of Lagos was a violation of their personal liberty and freedom of movement.

The applicants had prayed the court to declare that such alleged action of the Lagos State Government was a violation of Sections 35, 41(1) and 42 of the Constitution, and Articles 6,12, 2 and 28 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights. They also asked the court to award damages in the sum of N2 billion against the Lagos State Government and its agents, for breach of their rights. The applicants had also sought for an order of the court compelling the respondents to tender a published apology to them in at least three widely circulating national dailies.

The applicants plan to appeal the ruling.