Dasuki seeks apology, slams N15bn suit against FG over unlawful detention -vanguardngr

Detained former National Security Adviser, NSA, Colonel Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (retd), has dragged the federal government before an Abuja High Court to formally challenge his incarceration without trial in the custody of the Department of the State Service, DSS, since December last year.

Dasuki in  the fresh legal action, is praying the court to order his immediate release from the claws of the federal government security agents either conditionally or unconditionally. The suit, marked FCT/HC/ABJ/CV/2005/2016, instituted on his behalf by his two lead counsels, Messrs Joseph Daudu, SAN, and Ahmed Raji, SAN, was brought pursuant to Order 11, Rule 1, 2 and 3 of the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rule 2009. 

Dasuki, who claimed that his fundamental right to freedom of liberty and dignity to life has been grossly violated by the federal government with his detention, prayed for an order of the court to compel the federal government to pay him N15 billion as general damages and compensation for his alleged illegal detention and incarceration in violation of his rights as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution. He also prayed the court to compel the defendants in the suit to jointly and severally tender a public apology to him to be published in two national dailies for the violation of his rights. 

Defendants in the court action are the Department of State Security Service, DSS, National Security Adviser, NSA, Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Besides, Dasuki sought court declaration that he was entitled to his rights to dignity of human person, personal liberty, fair hearing, freedom of movement, private and family life and to acquire and own properties as enshrined in the 1999 constitution. 

Dasuki also wants the court to declare that his arrest and continuous detention since December 29, 2015, in the custody of the DSS and NSA by officers of the federal government, without allowing him access to his medical personnel, members of his family and without charging him to court within the time prescribed by law, was wrongful, unlawful, unconstitutional and a violation of his right granted by the country’s constitution. 

In a 43 paragraph affidavit in support of the originating summon, the applicant claimed to be a retired army officer, decent with no criminal record, lawfully resident in Nigeria and had served the country in various capacities. He averred that on July 16, 2015, the agents of the Federal Government unlawfully invaded his houses in Abuja and Sokoto and that during the invasion, his property, mainly cars and monies, were unlawfully carted away.

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