A human rights lawyer, Morakinyo Ogele, on Thursday dragged the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, before a High Court in Ado Ekiti seeking N1 billion in damages over the killing of two students of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE).
Also joined in the suit is the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the late students, Kehinde Dada, a 100-level student of the Department of Agriculture and Horticulture and Okonofua Joseph, a 300-level Biology Education student, were both fatally hit by bullets allegedly fired by the police.
The students were protesting over epileptic power supply in the university.
Mr Ogele filed the suit pursuant to Order 11 Rule 1 of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure Rules) 2009.
In a suit number HAD/A09RFRM/2019, the applicant prayed the court to determine whether it is lawful for the officers of the respondents to allegedly kill the students in such a brutal manner.
He urged the court to also determine “whether it is lawful for the court to award damages against the respondents under the circumstance”.
In an eight – paragraph Written address attached to the application, the applicant described the shooting “as an abridgement of the rights of the deceased as enshrined in section 33 of the 1999 constitution and that such action amounted to extrajudicial killing”.
Mr Ogele sought a declaration that the killing was a breach of the Constitution and also demanded an order directing the respondents to conduct a serious investigation within the Ekiti Police Command and identify the officers responsible for the killings.
He also sought an order directing the police to prosecute the officers and an order compelling the respondents to conduct compulsory psychiatric tests on their officers for the safety of the Nigerian citizens.
The rights activist sought an order directing the respondents to pay a sum of N1bilion as damages to the families of the students.
No date has been fixed for hearing in the suit.
In another development, the university, which was closed down as a result of the development, will now reopen on November 11 for academic activities.
The institution’s spokesperson, Godfrey Bajki, confirmed this in a statement in Ado Ekiti.
Mr Bajki said the decision was reached following a marathon deliberation of the University’s Senate which held on Wednesday.
He said the university authorities have also approved the appointment of Sola Ojo as the new Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) while Abayomi Fasina maintains his position as the Deputy Vice-chancellor. (Administration).
(NAN)
