A-50-year-old woman, Mrs. Nma Ukonu has dragged the Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA), before a Federal High Court sitting in Enugu demanding N50 million over alleged violation of her fundamental rights. Also joined in the suit before Justice Dorathy Agishi are two ESWAMA staff, Mrs. Chinyere T. Ogaukwu and Mr. Nnamani. The applicant, a staff of South Saharan Social Development Organization, in a suit No: EN/M/133/12 prayed the court to declare that the action of the respondents “in inflicting grievous injuries on me by hitting me with unidentified objects and fistic blows on the head and all over the body is a violation of my rights”. The plaintiff added that she was forcefully taken away from her office on 29th of August, 2012, on the ground that her office had not paid certain fee to the authority. She wants the court to declare that the alleged action constitutes a flagrant violation of her fundamental rights guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the African Charter on Human and Peoples rights. Also, Ukonu also prayed the court to declare that “my arrest and detention for over 8 hours at the respondents’ office without committing any offence known to law, thereby subjecting me to physical and psychological torture, constitutes a flagrant violation of my right as guaranteed in the constitution”. The plaintiff wants the court to grant an order of perpetual injunction “restraining ESWAMA, whether by themselves, their agents, privies or otherwise whosoever from further beating, harassing, intimidating, trailing, scaring, arresting or detaining her upon the same facts constituting the complaints. “I am also asking the court to award N50 million against the respondents being exemplary, punitive, aggravated, special and general damages for their infringement of my constitutional and fundamental rights”. When the matter came up, counsel to the respondents, J. C Ezeh asked the court for extension of time to enable him file his replies. Counsel to the applicant, Olu Omotayor Esq did not object. The court adjourned to March, 12, 2013 for adoption of written address.
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