A Federal High Court in Abuja has asked Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello to pay N500 million as damages over the June 3 attack on and attempted assassination of the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the last governorship election in the state, Murtala Ajaka.
In a judgment he delivered yesterday, Justice Inyang Ekwo ordered Bello to tender a public apology to Ajaka “for the gross and unwarranted violation” of his fundamental human rights.
The judgment was on a right enforcement suit which Ajaka filed against the Kogi State governor for instigating security agencies to attack him and eliminate him over his decision to challenge Bello’s alleged anointed candidate, Ahmed Ododo, who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ajaka alleged that on June 3, while he left Abuja to visit the Ohimege of Koto at Koton-Karfe, his convoy was attacked after leaving the palace of the Maigari of Lokoja “with a hail of bullets in an unprovoked attack against him and his supporters”.
He added,
“In the midst of the confusion, the vehicle the applicant was travelling in was overtaken by a vehicle with the insignia of the government, blocking the expressway; then, the first respondent (Bello) physically alighted from the vehicle while ordering the men of the second and fifth respondents (police and SSS) to again open fire on the vehicle of the applicant and his motorcade.”
Ajaka averred that several of his vehicles and those belonging to his supporters were riddled with bullets and demobilised with two other vehicles, branded in his party’s logo, set ablaze by the men of the second and fifth respondents, allegedly on the direct order of the first respondent (Bello).
The SDP candidate claimed that the deliberate attempt at assassinating him was made under the direct supervision of the governor in an effort to prevent him from contesting the election.
Listed as respondents in the case are: the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, and the State Security Service (SSS) – the first to sixth respondents.
Others are: the Director General of the SSS; the Director, SSS Kogi State Command; the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); the Chief of Defence Staff; the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), and the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) – listed as the sixth to 11th respondents.
Bello denied Ajaka’s allegations, queried the court’s jurisdiction over the case and accused the SDP candidate of instigating an attack against his person.
He argued that the security agencies and offices listed as respondents in the suit are federal agencies that are not under his direct control.
The governor added that he could not have instigated the Federal agencies to threaten Ajaka’s right to life, liberty, and association, as claimed by the applicant.
Bello alleged that Ajaka, in company of thugs and armed militia men, attacked and obstructed his convoy on the Abuja-Kogi Expressway, which prompted officers and men of the second to fifth respondents to repel the attack from the criminals.
The governor said all through the episode, he never came down from his vehicle and did not order any person to shoot at either Ajaka’s vehicle or any other vehicle.
He added that since the security personnel of the various security agencies attached to his convoy were charged with ensuring his security, they carried out their duties within the ambit of the law.
Justice Ekwo held that Bello was evasive in his attempt to deny Ajaka’s allegations.
The judge said he found that none of the governor’s averments in the affidavit was specific.
