Assault on Journalist: Hearing Begins March 17

Thursday, March 17, 2016, has been fixed by Justice Abdulazeez Anka of Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, for hearing proper to commence in the N500 million suit filed by Nigeria Union of Journalists, Lagos State Council, on behalf of one of its members, Otunba Yomi Olomofe, against the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service and eight others over alleged assault on Olomofe at Seme border on June 25, 2015.

At the resumed hearing on Monday, Justice Anka directed that all the nine respondents in the case should be served the court papers before hearing proper will commence on March 17.

The plaintiff’s lawyer, Adelayo Banjo from Jiti Ogunye Chambers, told the court that all the respondents had been served. The judge however said the proof of service was not before him and insisted that all respondents must be served before hearing can commence.

The first five respondents namely Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller-General of Customs, Comptroller Muhammed Ndalati, Deputy Comptroller Emmanuel Nkemdirim and Assistant Comptroller Ibrahim Turaki were represented by a lawyer while the sixth to nineth respondents vis Chief Sam of Ibiye, Alhaji Momoh (a.k.a. Basket), Mr Shehu and Mr. Elijah were not represented at yesterday’s court sitting.

Lagos NUJ had in December, 2015 filed a N500 million criminal suit against Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, over the brutal assault of Olomofe, at Seme border post of the NCS last year. NUJ is asking for N500 million as special and exemplary damages for the violation of the applicant’s rights.

The applicant, in the suit, asked the court for a declaration that the beating meted out to him by the defendants, who inflicted bodily and internal injuries on him on June 25, 2015, in the premises of the NCS, Seme, was “capable of infringing on his right to life as guaranteed by Section 33 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”

The applicant prayed the court to declare that the beating in the course of discharging his professional duties and obligations, constituted an infringement on his rights to freedom of expression and the press as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution.