by Rachel Ogbu
A twist in the Hezbolla terror cell case where co-owner of Amigo Supermarket, Mustapha Fawaz, and three Lebanese – Abdalah Tahini, Talal Rouda and Khosai Nouridine were arrested in connection with the armoury in Bompai, Kano State, a law suit has been filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja.
[READ: How the JTF uncovered Lebanese terrorist cell in Nigeria ]
The accused are said to be demanding N50bn as compensation from the State Security Service, Director-General of SSS, Ekpeyong Ita, and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), for their unlawful arrest and detention without trial.
According to reports, their lawyer, Bamidele Aturu, in a June 3 letter to the SSS Director-General, had complained that his clients had been in detention without trial in violation of the constitution and are also requesting a public apology by the respondents in three national newspapers for the violation of their rights.
In more requests, the suspects, Fawaz, Tahini, who were arrested in Kano on May 10 and 11 respectively also asked the court to stop the respondents from extraditing them except by a procedure permitted by law. Rouda and Nouridine were arrested on or about May 28 in Kano.
The Punch reports:
In the application for the enforcement of their fundamental rights, the applicants asked the court to declare their arrest and continued detention without trial by the SSS as “illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional, null, void and of no effect whatsoever.”
They prayed the court for an order directing their release and a perpetual injunction restraining the respondents whether by themselves or their agents from arresting or detaining them except by a procedure permitted by law.
The motion is in pursuant to Sections 35 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution, Articles 6 and 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.
A few days after the arrest of the suspects in Kano, the SSS sealed Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland Amusement Park.
But the applicants have asked the court to declare that the action “was arbitrary and a wanton violation of the right of Fawaz to own property and participate in the minor sector of the economy as guaranteed respectively by Sections 44 and 16(1) of the 1999 Constitution and African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights”.
They, therefore, sought an order directing the respondents and their agents and servants to unseal the Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland Amusement Park forthwith.
He also asked that they needed to access to lawyers, members of their families and doctors within 48 hours “in accordance with their rights under both Nigerian and international law”.
In an affidavit in support of the suit, Ali Thini, who is a younger brother to Tahini stated that the SSS had ignored the letter.
Am confused at their guts so far, b.cos d ammunitions in question which was in a cache was widely televised. I don’t know d rationale behind this dia so called stiff posture, “Human right” or wot do dey call it. Maybe a Nigerian godfather is standing like an Iroko tree behind them.
If it is Nigerians that store such an armnitions in Lebanon they will lynch them.I think,Nigerians should at this time open their eyes against terror in orther to overcome the security challenges facing us.
Nigeria didn’t want terrors right? I think the best thing to be done to those people is to send them to their ancestors because they are detrimental to our society!They are not surposed to enjoy human rights internal and externally!
THIS NONSENSE CAN ONLY HAPPEN HERE BCOS WE R TOO KIND IN CHINA AND MALAYSIA THEY HANG U FOR DRUGS NOT TO STOCKING HEAVY DUTY WEAPONS IN UR ROOM THEY R VERY LUCKY.
This is just unacceptable..if Nigerians were caught wt those warfares..dts all…they have the guts to sue the SSS? well govt is shady so we really don't knw wts goin on….
Imagine this pple
Those Lebannessssss are not serious, how can those deadly eqiupments be found in their properties. We have suffered a lot in d hands of Terrorists and Lives are being wasted and all they can say is that their Human rits ar being Violated. We don’t Respect Terrorists becos they ar Anti Human. KpomKwennnnn