#EndSARS: Suit against Pastor Sam Adeyemi stopped

 

Abuja, Nigeria - #EndSARS: Suit against Pastor Sam Adeyemi stopped  - Justice Bello Kawu, a High Court in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, on Wednesday, ordered Omolola Akindele, a Magistrate, to with immediate effect, stop all proceedings and stay the action in a criminal complaint filed by one Kenechukwu Okeke, against some Nigerian activists which includes:

Ex-football legend, Kanu Nwankwo; singer David ‘Davido’ Adeleke , Senior Pastor, Daystar Christian Centre, Sam Adeyemi; Musician Damini Ogulu popularly known as Burna Boy; activist, Aisha Yesufu; musicians Nelson Azubuike aka Phyno; Chinedu Okoli, popularly called Flavor; Folarin Falana aka Falz; activist Deji Adeyanju and 41 other persons who supported the #EndSARS protests in 2020.

The High Court also restrained the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) from arresting, rearresting or taking any action against any of the #EndSARS activists. The magistrate had ordered the Commissioner of Police in the Abuja to launch an investigation into the 50 notable persons who promoted/ supported the #EndSARS movement.

Justice Kawu, in his judgment,  said, “An order of this honourable court granting leave to the application to issue and serve on the defendant an application for judicial review against the proceedings/direct criminal complaint of Hon. Omolola Tolulope Akindele sitting at Chief Magistrate Court II, Wuse Zone 6 in the suit of Kenechukwu Okeke Vs Deji Adeyanju and 49 others in suit No. CR/49/2020.

 

“An order of this honourable court, that on the grant of the above orders herein, serve as stay of all proceedings on the direct criminal complaint Omolola Tolulope Akindele sitting at Chief Magistrate Court II, Wuse Zone 6 in the suit of Kenechukwu Okeke Vs Deji Adeyanju and 49 others in suit no. CR/49/2020.

 

“An order of this honourable court, that on the grant of the above orders herein, same order as granted by the honourable court shall restrain the Nigeria Police Force, 2nd and 3rd defendants from taking any further steps, arresting and or taking any unconstitutional/illegal steps in the form of any guise as it concerns the subject matters whatsoever before this court herein as it concerns all parties in the proceedings.”

In the filled complaint, Kenechukwu Okeke, an activist, alleged that during the #EndSARS protests, his properties were destroyed and the defendants who allegedly promoted the #EndSARS protests must be held accountable for his loss. In his supporting affidavit, Okeke said the defendants played active roles in the #EndSARS protest which transitioned from being peaceful to violence.

 

Okeke’s supporting affidavit read in part, “That the 1st to 50th accused persons between the 3rd day of October 2020 and the 28th day of October 2020, using Twitter, an Internet web source with URL https://www.twitter.com within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did conspire amongst themselves to commit misdemeanour, to wit, promoting and acting in such a manner, with intent to assist in the promotion of #EndSARS and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 97(2) of the Penal Code Act, C53 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

 

“Properties belonging to the complainant were egregiously destroyed by some riotous and tumultuous persons instigated and incited by the 1st to 50th accused persons.”

The plaintiff also said that the nation bled, numerous lives lost, and properties worth billions destroyed as a result of the sheer recklessness of some persons.

The #EndSARS protest last year, was against police brutality and extra-judicial killings. It started peacefully but soon witnessed widespread violence with loss of lives and looting and destruction of public and private infrastructure in Lagos and across the country after yet to be identified soldiers

 

The shooting at the Lekki Toll Gate

Protesters and other witnesses at Lekki Toll Gate claimed several harmless civilians were killed and others fatally injured in the sporadic shooting at the Lekki Toll Gate. The exact number of the dead remains a mystery till date.

An eyewitness and a popular female Nigerian Disc Jockey, DJ Switch, who streamed the incident live on Instagram, told reporters that the killer soldiers took the dead away and that a team of police officers arrived later to mop up after the soldiers. She also said the military prevented first responders and ambulances from reaching the injured on time.

DJ Switch also said she saw at least 15 corpses and claimed that security agents took the bodies away. Amnesty International on the other hand, claimed 10 people were killed during the shooting at the toll gate, and two others at the Alausa protest ground, both in Lagos, Nigeria.

However, the Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who described the shooting as a “dark note in the history of the state” and blamed the shooting on forces beyond the “direct control” of his government, originally said no lives were lost in the shooting.

However, barely two days later, after overwhelming video evidence, Sanwo-Olu, in an interview he had with the Cable News Network, CNN, claimed that only two persons died from the incident.

 

Lekki Toll Gate shooting

Protesters and other witnesses at Lekki Toll Gate claimed several harmless civilians were killed and many more fatally injured in the sporadic shooting. The exact number of the dead remains a mystery till date.

An eyewitness and a popular female Nigerian Disc Jockey, DJ Switch, who streamed the incident live on Instagram, told reporters that the killer soldiers took the dead away and that a team of police officers arrived later to mop up after the soldiers. She also said the military prevented first responders and ambulances from reaching the injured on time.

DJ Switch also said she saw at least 15 corpses and claimed that security agents took the bodies away. Amnesty International on the other hand, claimed 10 people were killed during the shooting at the toll gate, and two others at the Alausa protest ground, both in Lagos, Nigeria.

However, the Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who described the shooting as a “dark note in the history of the state” and blamed the shooting on forces beyond the “direct control” of his government, originally said no lives were lost in the shooting.

However, barely two days later, after overwhelming video evidence, Sanwo-Olu, in an interview he had with the Cable News Network, CNN, claimed that only two persons died from the incident.

The governor also said that it appears that the Nigerian Army was responsible for the shooting of the End SARS protesters at Lekki Toll Gate.

The Nigerian Army, immediately after the shooting, stated that its men were not at the toll gate during the incident and that pictures and videos of the shooting were in fact photo shopped.