14th August, 2021
In a rare legal move, a junior student of Mary Immaculate Secondary School , Ado- Ekiti, has sued the Ekiti Government, seeking N15 million in damages for breach of fundamental rights.
Miss Gift Agenoisa a Junior Secondary School One student is behind the legal move.
In a suit number HAD/01/CR/2021 and sworn to, at the Ado-Ekiti High Court, on her behalf by Mrs Odunayo Agenoisa, the student claimed that her suspension from school by government, infringed on her rights.
The student described as cruel and inhuman, the ill-treatment meted out to her for coming to school with what was called an “indecent hairstyle”.
Joined in the suit are the School Principal, Mrs Oluwasanmi F.M (1st respondent) , the Commissioner for Education, Dr Olabimpe Aderiye(2nd), the Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission(3rd) and the Ekiti State Government (4th respondent).
In the affidavit attached to the originating summons, the plaintiff claimed that she was singled out of Assembly on May 22, and given 20 lashes, on the order of the school principal for the alleged indecent hairstyle.
In her originating summons deposed to by her counsel, Mr Timmy Omotoso and brought pursuant to Order 2 rules 1,3,4,5 and 6 of the fundamental rights enforcement procedure rules 2009 as preserved by Section 315 of the 1999 constitution, the applicant demanded N15 million damages for her suspension.
She also demanded her immediate reinstatement school with unfettered access to all services being rendered therein.
The plaintiff claimed that the beating she got that day, resulted in bruises, life-threatening scars and bloodstains on her uniform, adding that she fainted and was rushed to the police clinic in Ado- Ekiti, where she was resuscitated.
She claimed further that her letters of protest to the wife of Ekiti Governor and some relevant government agencies were ignored, hence, her resorting to legal action to seek redress.
The plaintiff added that she was being denied access to the school premises and her class, on the orders of the principal since then.
On May 22, the plaintiff’s father, a Police Sergeant, Elijah, mobilized four armed policemen to the school to manhandle some teachers for beating his daughter, for coming to school with what was condemned as an indecent hairdo, against the school rules and regulation.