Stop Media From Attributing Bandits’ Attacks To Fulani – Lecturer Asks Court, Demands N100m Damages
A university professor, identified as Dr. Ahmadu Shehu, petitioned the Federal Supreme Court, sitting in Abuja, to order the media to stop identifying the robbers or the terrorist attack in any part of the country against the Fulani.
Shehu, a Fulani from Adamawa State in a petition on the notice stated:
FHC/ABJ/CS/1729/2022 and submitted to Judge Inyang Ekwo, also requested an order directing the 9 news outlets involved as defendants in the lawsuit to jointly pay him N100 million in damages.
He declares that the claim is by Article 46 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Article 8 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights against the defendants individually and/or collectively for violating basic human rights.
Meanwhile, Sehu is the plaintiff, and the National Guidance Agency (NOA), the Federal Attorney General (AGF), and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) are the 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.
Channels Television Ltd, African Independent Television (AIT) Ltd, Guardian Newspaper NIg Ltd, Peoples Gazette Ltd, Vintage Press Ltd, ThisDay Newspaper Ltd, African Newspaper of Nigeria Plc, TVC Communications, and Vanguard Media Ltd ranked 4th out of 12 respectively. reply. In the September 21, 2022 lawsuit filed by her attorney, Mohammed Yunusa on September 29, 2022, Shehu requested 5 statements and 3 orders.
They include “a statement that the unsubstantiated attribution of robbers and/or terrorist attacks in various parts of Nigeria was perpetrated by people of Fulani descent.
”The description of perpetrators of such attacks as ‘Fulani Herdsmen’ and/or ‘Fulani Bandits’ by the 4th to 12th respondents is inordinate, unconscionable, discriminatory and a violation of their right to enjoy all the civil rights recognised and guaranteed by Article 2 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, Article 1 of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms Of Racial Discrimination; and Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 4th to 12th respondents, their privies, agents, successors, however, described, from further attributing any bandits/terrorists’ attack, past or future, to the persons of Fulani ethnicity.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 4th to 12th respondents, their privies, agents, successors, howsoever described from further describing the perpetrators of banditry and/or terrorist attack as ‘Fulani Herdsmen’ or ‘Fulani Bandits.’”
In the affidavit he deposed to, the Kaduna-based lecturer averred that “the attribution of violent, gruesome banditry and terrorist attacks by unscrupulous elements to the ethnic identity of the Fulanis was insulting and discriminatory against peaceful and civil persons of that ethnicity” as in his case.
He said millions of persons of Fulani extraction were engaged in legitimate activities either in the civil service at the federal, state or local levels, while some were engaged in legitimate businesses, scattered all over Nigeria, living in peace and contributing productively and positively to the economic and political terrain.
According to him, the Fulani people have a history of peaceful coexistence with other ethnic groups in Nigeria over a period spanning more than 100 years.
Shehu urged the court to grant his prayers in the interest of justice and, more importantly, for enforcing and protecting his fundamental human rights
