Kogi: Court mandates Gov Bello to pay N500m to SDP’s Ajaka for violating rights

On Thursday, a Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello must pay N500 million to Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate for governor, Murtala Ajaka, for allegedly violating his fundamental rights.

Bello must publicly apologise to Ajaka “for the gross and unwarranted violation” of his rights, according to Justice Inyang Ekwo’s ruling.

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Justice Ekwo also issued a directive asking the leaders of the security agencies to guarantee Ajaka’s safety.

The court additionally issued “an order of injunction, restraining the security agencies from making an arrest, kidnapping, holding, or harassing, intimidating, shooting, or threatening the applicant’s life and property in the future.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on July 11, Ajaka’s attorney, S.E. Aruwa, SAN, filed an originating application with the case number FHC/ABJ/CS/952/2023, requesting judicial protection against Bello.

Respondents in the lawsuit were the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police for Kogi State, the Department of State Service (DSS), and the Director General of the DSS.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Director of the DSS Command in Kogi, and Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) are among the other respondents.