A Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, has dismissed an application seeking to prevent Nigerians from protesting against hunger and bad governance. The ruling was delivered on Monday, August 12, 2024.
The motion, marked FHC/ABS/CS/1149/2024, was filed by Danladi Goje, Buky Abayomi, Adiza Abbo, and thirteen others through their lawyer, Tsembelee Sorkaa. The applicants sought an interim injunction against 19 civil society groups, including Take It Back Movement and Nigeria’s Action Against Hunger. The Attorney General of the Federation and security agencies were also named as parties in the suit.
The applicants aimed to enforce their fundamental rights by preventing the organizations from participating in or organizing protests. However, Justice Lifu found the prayers in the motion to be without merit.
“I have carefully considered the prayers in the instant motion (ex parte). In my view, the motion is not grantable. The prayers for substituted service are not grantable. The entire application lacks merit and is accordingly dismissed,” the judge stated.
The court has adjourned the hearing on the motion on notice to August 29, 2024.
This ruling comes in the wake of nationwide protests from August 1 to 10, 2024, where Nigerians took to the streets to express their discontent with the country’s harsh economic conditions. The protests resulted in the deaths of at least 15 people and significant property damage across states including Kano, Niger, Kaduna, Borno, and Yobe, where violence erupted.
