23rd August, 2012
Nnamdi Felix / Abuja
A national youth organisation, Peace Corps of Nigeria, on Thursday dragged the State Security Service, SSS, and its Director General, Mr. Ita Enang, before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja over an alleged breach of its fundamental human rights to personal liberty, freedom to associate freely and dignity of their persons as enshrined in Section 34,35 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution.
The organization also joined the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, as a party in the suit.
At the proceedings, the SSS lawyer, Mr. M.U Idako, told the court that he had just been briefed and that he would need some time to file his counter affidavit.
The court, presided by Justice Gladys Olotu, subsequently adjourned hearing of the case to Monday, 27th August.
The court also directed the SSS to give an undertaking that it would not disrupt the activities of the corps particularly the opening of its Abia state office scheduled to take place on Friday (tomorrow)
It also ordered the corps to make an undertaken that it would not carry out any activity that is outside its objectives.
The parties heeded the court’s directives and made the requested undertaken as directed by the court.
Peace Corps is seeking for a declaration that the continual and continuous circulation of memos, circulars, reports or signals by the SSS proclaiming the organization an illegal organization not recognized by government is an aberration and contrary to the provision of Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution.
It prayed the court to declare that the SSS has no power to proscribe or declare a duly registered organization as being proscribed and that the incessant invitation, detention, harassment, humiliation of its members and the treatment meted out on them without any just cause is unlawful and an infringement of their fundamental human right.
Furthermore, the organization wants the court to declare that the incessant threat to further arrest, invitation, detention, harassment, humiliation of its members by the SSS without any just cause is unlawful and an infringement of their fundamental human rights as enshrined under Section 34 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution.
It also frowned at the security agency’s continuous circulation and distribution of information portraying it as an unlawful organization and wants the court to give an order restraining the SSS from further circulating, distributing or disseminating information claiming that it is an illegal organization and that government at all level should stop their agencies from recognizing and patronizing it.
In addition, the organization is claiming N250 million as general damages and order directing the SSS to issue public apology in two national dailies to them for their actions against the Peace Corps.