Chinedu Agbodike, a citizen, has initiated legal action against the federal government and the Nigerian Army over what he described as “indiscriminate proliferation” of military checkpoints in the south-east geopolitical zone.
The suit was filed at the High Court of Enugu State on June
17, 2026.
Agbodike is the applicant in the suit, filed on his behalf and
on behalf of citizens of Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, and Abia states.
Counsel to the applicant are Aloy Ejimakor, P.N Agazie, B.C.
Anys, B.K Agazie, Chinwe Agazie, Eguzoribe Ozioma, E.C Eze, and Iloanya
Florence.
The respondents are the chief of army staff (first
respondent), Nigerian army (second respondent), attorney-general of the
federation (third respondent), and federal government (fourth respondent).
THE PRAYERS
The lawyer asked the court to declare that the
“indiscriminate deployment” of military checkpoints and roadblocks in the
south-east zone, which according to them, have allegedly resulted in
harassment, extortion, and arbitrary arrests, constitute violations of the
fundamental human rights of citizens.
The lawyer asked the court to declare illegal and
unconstitutional the “routine” deployment of military personnel for checkpoints
duties and roadblock operations in the south-east.
“A DECLARATION that the assumption by the 1st and 2nd
Respondents of internal policing functions constitutionally vested in the
Nigeria Police Force under Section 214 of the Constitution amounts to an
unlawful usurpation of powers and is therefore unconstitutional and same
constitutes abuse and violation of human rights of the people of South Eastern
Nigeria,” part of the suit reads.
“A DECLARATION that the excessive militarization of Anambra,
Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo and Abia States amounts to an unjustifiable and
disproportionate interference with the rights to freedom of movement, personal
liberty, human dignity and freedom from discrimination guaranteed under Chapter
IV of the Constitution, thereby violating the constitutional rights of the
people of South Eastern Nigeria.
“A DECLARATION that the discriminatory profiling and
targeting of citizens by the 1st and 2nd Respondents at various military
checkpoints/roadblocks on the roads of Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra and Imo
States on account of their ethnicity, age, mode of dressing, hairstyle,
tattoos, language, physical appearance or perceived affiliations is
unconstitutional, illegal, oppressive and a violation of their Constitutional
rights under Chapter IV of the Constitution, particularly Section 42 of the
1999 Constitution as amended.”
The lawyer sought an order directly the first to third
respondents to “immediately dismantle, remove and discontinue all military
checkpoints and routine roadblocks operating on federal and state roads within
Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo and Abia States except where such deployments are
specifically authorised by law and justified by exceptional security
circumstances, in accordance with due process of law”.
The lawyer asked the court to order the attorney-general of
the federation (AGF) and minister of justice to establish a panel to
investigate human rights violations allegedly committed by military personnel
at checkpoints in the south-east.
The lawyer sought N500 billion as “exemplary, aggravated and
general damages against the Respondents jointly and severally for the
widespread and continuing violation of the fundamental rights of citizens of
the South-East Region of Nigeria”.
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