Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah of Enugu State has been dragged to Nsukka High Court by registered trustees of the Law Hub Development and Advocacy Centre in Abuja and the Ositadinma Okoro Empowerment Foundation for alleged abuse of the fundamental human rights of over 10,000 dealers from Nsukka’s Ogige Market.
On Wednesday, May 22, the Enugu State government issued a 72-hour notice to traders to vacate properties and stores at Ogige Market, which resulted in a grave breach of the traders’ fundamental rights to property.
The lawsuit seeks N50 billion in damages following the demolition of Ogige Nsukka Market.
The governor and Attorney-General of Enugu State are named as respondents in the lawsuit, which was filed under suit No. N/73/2024. The plaintiffs contend that the demolition and the 72-hour warning to depart amount to a flagrant breach of their fundamental rights as guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution. They claim that this act violates the traders’ rights to own both moveable and immovable property.
“In a manner reminiscent of the military era, the agents of the Enugu state government wrote on the walls of the market the notice that they should vacate within 72 hours. The market traders have been trading peacefully in the market for over 50 years before the respondents just woke up and gave them 72 hours of notice to vacate,” the court filing reads in part.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare that the government’s actions, including threatening to use force against the traders, violate their fundamental rights. They also seek a perpetual injunction to prevent additional harassment and intimidation of the dealers.
This legal action follows significant criticism of the Enugu State Government’s urban redevelopment initiative, which has resulted in the demolition of multiple properties throughout the state. Notable demolitions include the Our Saviour Institute of Science and Technology (OSISATECH), a motherless baby home operated by the Nigerian Red Cross Society in Enugu, sections of Ogige Market in Nsukka, and a motor park in Gariki, Awkunanaw.
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