Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) and its chairman, Barr Hashim Abioye, have sued the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Osun State Commissioner of Police for breach of fundamental rights.
In suit no: FHC/Os/CS/41/2025 filed at the federal high court sitting in Osogbo, they brought the suit in a representative capacity for themselves and on behalf of all the members and the entire staff, including the commission’s ad-hoc staff.
The claimants sued the defendants for breach and continuing breach of their fundamental rights, illegal arrest and detention, unlawful sealing of the commission premises, threat of further arrest and detention, and illegal seizure of the commission’s properties.
N2 billion is also being sought as damages against the defendants, amongst other reliefs.
They are seeking an order directing the defendants to vacate and unseal the plaintiffs’ office premises and immediately release all the plaintiffs’ staff arrested for doing their lawful duty.
The plaintiff also wants an order restraining the defendants from arresting, detaining or doing anything capable of hindering the fundamental human rights to liberty, private life and property as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The plaintiffs sought an order directing all the defendants to pay N2 billion as damages for the plaintiff’s breach of fundamental human rights.
Recall that the OSSIEC headquarters was sealed off by the police a day before the Saturday, February 22, 2025, local government elections in the state, which barred staff from performing their lawful duty.
