Court to deliver judgment in N550m suit against Nigerian Army for rights abuse on June 19
On Monday, May 5, the Federal High Court in Abuja set June 19 for judgment in a fundamental rights abuse case seeking N550 million in damages against the Nigerian Army, the Chief of Army Staff, and six other individuals.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik fixed the judgment date after the plaintiff’s lawyer presented the written address, outlining the arguments in the lawsuit.
The case, initially filed by Mr. Ambrose Akhigbe, an Assistant Director at Command Secondary School, Ipaja, Lagos, involves allegations of assault, battering, and attempted murder by members of the Nigerian Army.
The court had earlier ordered on March 1 that the fundamental rights abuse suit be served on the respondents, including the Army leadership, via substituted means by placing the court documents in a widely circulated newspaper in the Federal Capital Territory.
Akhigbe’s case, filed in November 2024, accuses the Army of violating his rights after he was allegedly attacked by the 5th, 6th, and 7th respondents for recording videos of punishment inflicted on SSS3 girls. He claimed that the incident happened when the Army personnel, including Lieutenants and Privates, beat him up, causing severe injuries. Akhigbe alleged that his attackers threatened to kill him during the assault, saying, “We will kill you today, you bastard.”
Akhigbe also stated that the incident caused heavy bleeding from his head, halting academic activities at the school. Following the attack, protests were organized by civilian staff, and the military police took action against the accused personnel.
The plaintiff further claimed that the Army took responsibility for part of his medical bills, which amounted to N180,000, and acknowledged the seriousness of his injuries when he suffered a concussion shortly after the incident.
Despite the service of the lawsuit, none of the respondents appeared in court or sent legal representatives. The case was presented with several exhibits, including a Certificate of Compliance.
The Assistant Director is asking the court to declare that the actions of the Army personnel violated his rights to personal dignity and the right to life as protected by the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
He is also requesting an order for a public apology to be made by the respondents on national television and for the Army to pay him a total of N550 million in damages, along with N50 million in legal costs.
The judgment date, June 19, will determine the outcome of the case.
