Charly Boy files N500m lawsuit against Nigerian Police over ‘Resume Or Resign’ harassment

Charly Boy has filed N500m lawsuit against the Nigerian Police over the alleged harassment he faced with other protesters during his ‘Resume or Resign’ protest on the 8th of August in Abuja.

Recall that the Area father slumped during the protest at the Unity Fountain following the effects of tear gas canister and water cannons used on the protesters by the Police, but the authorities described the musician as being overdramatic when he slumped.

In the lawsuit filed against the FCT Police Command at the FCT High Court in Maitama on Wednesday, Charly Boy is seeking  “an order compelling the Police to publish a public apology to him in five National Newspapers, and the payment of the sum of N500m as general damages.

The lawsuit culled from Vanguard reads:

‘In the fundamental rights enforcement suit with reference number FCT/HC/CV/3037/2017 and dated 4th October, 2017; Charly Boy is praying the court to determine “whether the use of teargas canisters, water cannon and wild police dogs by the agents and officers of the Respondent to attack, harass and disperse members of the OurMumuDonDo movement and Concerned Nigerians group during a peaceful demonstration at the Unity Fountain in Maitama, Abuja is not unjustifiable, illegal, unconstitutional and a breach of the Applicant’s fundamental rights to the dignity of the human person, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association and contrary to Sections 34, 39 and 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Articles 5, 9, 10 and 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap. A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”

The suit also added that Oputa is seeking the following reliefs from the court: “An Order compelling the Police to publish a public apology to him in five National Newspapers, and the payment of the sum of N500m as general damages to him for the violation of his fundamental rights to dignity of the human person, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association on Tuesday, 8th August, 2017 at Unity Fountain in Maitama, Abuja.’

However, a date is yet to be fixed for the hearing of the suit.