Embattled Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Igboho has sought the payment of N5.5 billion as damages over the invasion of his house by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
As reported on Politics Nigeria, the DSS operatives invaded the residence of the activist at Soka, Ibadan, in the early hours of Thursday, July 1, 2021.
While 12 of Igboho’s aides were arrested by the DSS during the raid, two other persons were killed.
Igboho, who’s currently in detention in Benin Republic after fleeing DSS arrest, filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Ibadan through his counsel, Chief Yomi Alliyu (SAN). In the suit, Igboho argued that the invasion of his house was not only malicious but also a violation of his fundamental human rights.
Igboho said it is in light of the attack, which led to the loss of lives, stolen and damages of his properties, that he’s demanding that Abubakar Malami (SAN), the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the DSS, and its Director-General (DG), Yusuf Bichi, pay him N500 million, and another N5 billion as “exemplary and/or aggravated damages for breaching the applicant’s fundamental rights in the course of the illegal and malicious invasion of his residence.”
Revealing how the DSS operatives attacked him, Igboho stated that they stormed his residence at about 1:00 am on the day of the attack, and “without announcing who they were or asking the applicant (Igboho) to open his gate, shot their way through, killing two people, including an elderly Imam doing Tahjud (vigil), shooting at cars, thereby destroying them and not sparing animals, like cats and dogs in total violation of the intendments of the fundamental human rights provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights Act.”
He said for two hours, they shot through the ceiling and roof of his house, depriving him of “the quiet enjoyment of his house for the period of the armed invasion of the said property.”
The activist, however, wants the court to order the DSS to return his personal belongings, which he alleged were carted away during the operations.
He listed the items as N2 million cash, €1,000, travel documents, gold jewelry and wristwatches, an iPhone 12 mobile phone, Samsung mobile phone, and other items yet to be ascertained.
