A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, adjourned till October 15, hearing in the suit by seven Igbo indigenes, challenging their deportation by the Lagos State Government, which they are claiming was a breach of their fundamental rights.
The applicants are also claiming the sum of N1 billion against the respondents jointly and severally, as general damages for breach of their rights.
The plaintiffs are Joseph Aniebonam, Osondu Mbuto, Osondu Agwu, Nnenna Ogbonna, Emily Okoroariri, Friday Ndukwe and Onyeka Ugwu, suing on behalf of 76 others.
Respondents in the suit are the Attorney-General of Lagos State, and the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State.
Hearing in the matter could not go on yesterday, due to a notice of preliminary objection filed by the Attorney General of Lagos State Government.
The trial judge, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajjumogoia, who noted that the application was not ripe for hearing, adjourned till October 15 to hear same.
The applicants are praying the court to declare that they, as Nigerian citizens, were entitled to their fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution.
They are seeking a declaration, that
their arrest and detention in various camps in Lagos in July 2013, and their subsequent deportation to Anambra, on July 24, 2013, for no offence, amounted to a serious breach of their fundamental rights.
The deportees are also seeking an order, mandating the respondents to tender a written apology to them by publishing same in three national newspapers continuously for 30 days, for gross violation of their constitutional rights.
They also want an order, directing the Lagos State Government, to re-integrate them into the state, as well as perpetually restrain the respondents, their agents, and officers from further deporting or refusing them free entry into Lagos State.
Meanwhile the LASG in its counter-affidavit, it contending that the deportation was not done out of malice, but out of genuine intention to re-unite the applicants with their families.
According to respondents, the applicants were only assisted by the government, to re-join their families, after pleading that they had no homes, relatives or businesses in Lagos State.