Human rights lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, has sued the Lagos State Government over the restriction of movement in the State during the just concluded census exercise.
Gani, in a summons with suit No. ID/161M/2006 filed in Lagos High Court, Ikeja Division, declared that the restriction is a violation of his fundamental right to free movement enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.
“We consider the restriction as a violation of the fundamental right to free movement enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999″, he said.
Gani prayed the court to declared that the restriction of movement imposed by the state government on March 21, 22, and 23, 2006 from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm on each of the three days as a result of the census amounts to violation of his fundamental right to freedom of movement as enshrined in Section 41 of the Constitution.
He also urged the court to grant N10 million as damages for the infringement of his fundamental rights to freedom of movement.
In another 15-paragraph affidavit in support of the summons, Gani claimed that the restriction of movement imposed by the respondents made him suffer incredible losses and also denied him the opportunity of securing the timely attention of his physician on March 21, 22, and 23 2006.
While urging the court to grant his application in the interest of justice, he said, I sincerely believe the respondents have no right to place restriction of movement on me for three days and the hours aforesaid for the purpose of census”.