SUIT NO: FHC/MKD/CS/68/24 BETWEEN LAWYERS ALERT V. FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA & ANOR
Whether by virtue of the provision of sections 33(1), 34(1) 35(1) and 14(2)(B) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and article 4, 5, 6 and 16 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, the failure of the Respondents to provide adequate security and return the internally displaced persons in Benue State to their ancestral homes amounts to a violation of the rights to life, dignity of human person, personal liberty, best attainable state of physical and mental health and security guaranteed for citizens of Nigeria?
For several years, many Nigerians residing in Benue and other states have been ejected and displaced from their ancestral homes due to insurgency and insecurity. These internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been forced to relocate to camps within their states, including Benue State, Nigeria. In these camps, the IDPs have been exposed to disease, loss of life, and numerous other challenges they would not have otherwise faced. Women and children, particularly in the Benue State camps, have become victims of sexual violence and abuse, suffering daily without redress. They also lack access to clean water, healthcare, sanitation, and security.
Lawyers Alert, on behalf of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Benue State, has filed a suit at the Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi. The case seeks redress for the widespread neglect of the IDPs, demanding their immediate return to their ancestral homes and the provision of adequate security, shelter, and other essential amenities to ensure the fulfillment of their rights under the law.
OUTCOME:
The case is yet to be assigned to a judge; however, Lawyers Alert will continue to provide updates on the proceedings as the case progresses.
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