The remaining
112 abducted Chibok girls still being held by Boko Haram have sued the Federal Government along with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, for allegedly failing to rescue them from the terrorists’ captivity since April 2014.
Their lead counsel, Mrs Funmi Falana, and other lawyers at the Falana & Falana Law firm, had on September 10, 2018 filed, behalf of the girls, the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/913/2018 before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The fundamental human rights enforcement suit sought, among others, an order of court mandating the Federal Government to rescue the girls.
The suit which did not pray for any monetary damages or compensation, also sought an order compelling the government to file a monthly report in the registry of the court on the efforts being made to free the girls.
While the names of the 112 girls were listed as the applicants, the Federal Government and the AGF were named as the respondents.
A leader of the Bring Back Our Girls, Mrs Oby Ezenkwesili, deposed to the affidavits filed in support of the suit.
The BBOG is a group that has been championing the campaign for the rescue of the Chibok girls who were originally 276 when they were abducted on April 14, 2014.
Ezekwesili recalled in the affidavit that the 276 girls said to be aged between 12 and 17 years old were abducted by Boko Haram members from the Government Girls Secondary School in the remote town of Chibok in Borno State.
Ezekwesili recalled that on October 13, 2016, a set of 21 out of the 276 abducted girls was released following negotiations mediated by the Swiss government and International Committee of Red Cross.
She also stated that on May 6, 2017, 82 of the girls were also released from the terrorists’ custody.
She alleged that “the respondents (the Federal Government and the AGF) had remained aloof to the fate of the other girls still in the captivity of their abductors ever since”.
The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Falana, urged the court to declare that by virtue of Section 14 of the Nigerian Constitution, “the respondents are under a legal obligation to free the applicants from the illegal custody of the Boko Haram terrorists forthwith”.
Among other prayers sought in the suit is “a declaration that the abduction of the applicants is a violation of the applicants’ fundamental rights to free, compulsory Universal Basic Education guaranteed under Section 18(3)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act, 2004.”
The case has not been slated for hearing.
Their lead counsel, Mrs Funmi Falana, and other lawyers at the Falana & Falana Law firm, had on September 10, 2018 filed, behalf of the girls, the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/913/2018 before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The fundamental human rights enforcement suit sought, among others, an order of court mandating the Federal Government to rescue the girls.
The suit which did not pray for any monetary damages or compensation, also sought an order compelling the government to file a monthly report in the registry of the court on the efforts being made to free the girls.
While the names of the 112 girls were listed as the applicants, the Federal Government and the AGF were named as the respondents.
A leader of the Bring Back Our Girls, Mrs Oby Ezenkwesili, deposed to the affidavits filed in support of the suit.
The BBOG is a group that has been championing the campaign for the rescue of the Chibok girls who were originally 276 when they were abducted on April 14, 2014.
Ezekwesili recalled in the affidavit that the 276 girls said to be aged between 12 and 17 years old were abducted by Boko Haram members from the Government Girls Secondary School in the remote town of Chibok in Borno State.
Ezekwesili recalled that on October 13, 2016, a set of 21 out of the 276 abducted girls was released following negotiations mediated by the Swiss government and International Committee of Red Cross.
She also stated that on May 6, 2017, 82 of the girls were also released from the terrorists’ custody.
She alleged that “the respondents (the Federal Government and the AGF) had remained aloof to the fate of the other girls still in the captivity of their abductors ever since”.
The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Falana, urged the court to declare that by virtue of Section 14 of the Nigerian Constitution, “the respondents are under a legal obligation to free the applicants from the illegal custody of the Boko Haram terrorists forthwith”.
Among other prayers sought in the suit is “a declaration that the abduction of the applicants is a violation of the applicants’ fundamental rights to free, compulsory Universal Basic Education guaranteed under Section 18(3)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act, 2004.”
The case has not been slated for hearing.
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