Lagos Govt Contacts Uber Driver Assaulted During First Anniversary Of EndSARS

Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Justice, has contacted Inibehe Effiong, lawyer to an Uber driver, Adedotun Clement, who was tortured during the first anniversary of EndSARS in 2021.

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos had on March 14, ordered the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Police to pay the sum of N5 million as compensation to Clement.

Delivering judgment in the fundamental rights case with Suit Number: FHC/CS/1862/2021, the presiding judge, Hon. Justice A. L. Allagoa, found that the treatment meted on the applicant amounted to a violation of his right to dignity and awarded the sum of N5 million as damages.

However, in a Notice of Appeal filed on Tuesday, March 21, but served on Friday, March 24, signed by Dr. Babajide Martins, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, the government said there was no evidence that the Uber driver was tortured.

But, reacting to the judgement on Saturday, the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu said that although the state government has appealed the ruling, he has interceded in the interest of the public good, and requested that the state’s Attorney General comply with the court’s ruling.

The governor noted that he is committed to upholding the rule of law and protecting citizens’ rights with empathy and authority.

Speaking with THE WHISTLER on Tuesday, Effiong said that the process for implementation of the court ruling is ongoing.

“I was contacted yesterday. The Ministry of Justice has reached out to me. I understand the machinery for implementation is on going,” the human rights lawyer told THE WHISTLER.