‘Resume or resign’: Charly Boy files N500m suit against police

Charles Oputa, the entertainer better known as Charly Boy, has filed a N500 million lawsuit against the federal capital territory (FCT) police command.

In the suit filed on Wednesday at the FCT high court in Abuja, Charly Boy accused the command and its officers of harassing him and members of his group during the “resume or resign” protests.

The protesters had clashed with policemen from the FCT command during the week-long demonstration over President Muhammadu Buhari’s long stay in the UK.

The president was receiving medical attention abroad at the time.

In an originating motion dated October 4, the social activist, through Inibehe Effiong, his counsel, attached three video clips recorded during the attack as exhibits in the affidavit.

He asked the court to determine whether the use of “water cannons, teargas canisters and wild police dogs to harass him and members of his group during a peaceful protest” is constitutional.

He also sought the determination of the court on whether, considering the facts, the applicant is entitled to “public apology, compensation, damages and other reliefs sought”.

Charly Boy also sought, among other reliefs, an order of the court that “the use of teargas canisters, water cannon and wild police dogs by the police and its officers on the group on August 8, at the Unity Fountain is unjustifiable, illegal and a breach of his fundamental right”.

He prayed the court to compel the FCT police and its commissioner to publish a public apology to him in five national newspapers, pay the sum of N100 million as general damages to the applicant as well as direct that N400 million be paid as exemplary damages by the police.

He also asked the court to issue an order of perpetual injunction “restraining the police and its agents from further interfering with or violating the applicant’s fundamental rights to dignity of the human person, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association”.