Enugu man seeks N2 billion, council’s apology over son’s killing
Pius Okoro, a resident of Enugu State, has filed a lawsuit against the state's Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area (LGA) and its authorities for the alleged murder of his son, Philip.
In his lawsuit filed at the Enugu State High Court, which is located in Enugu, Mr. Okoro named the Chairman of the Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, the Uzo-Uwani Council, and Hon. Chijioke Ezugwu (Chief Security Officer Uzo-Uwani Local Government Council) as his first, second, and third respondents.
In his originating motion dated July 21, 2022, he claimed that "the Chief Security Officer of Uzo-Uwani LGA, Enugu State and members of his vigilante group" shot and killed Phillip on June 29, 2022, in the community of Nkpologwu inside the LGA.
Through his attorney V.N. Ayogu, the applicant is asking Justice Martha Onuoha to order the defendants, among other things, to pay him N2 billion as restitution for Phillip's passing.
In particular, he is asking for three different types of relief, including a ruling that Philip's shooting and death "is most barbaric, wrongful, unlawful, unjustifiable and violates the deceased's fundamental rights to life and dignity of the human person as enshrined in Sections 33 (1), 34 (1), and 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Articles 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, as well as Article
“An order directing the respondents to jointly and/or severally, pay to the applicant and his family the sum of N2billion as general damages for the aforesaid extra judicial killing/and unconstitutional violation of late Mr. Philip Okoro’s fundamental right to life and dignity.
“An order of court directing the respondents to publicly apologise to the applicant and his family for the unlawful shooting and killing of Philip.”
Justice Onuoha has fixed October 14, for hearing.