Osaze Agbonifo, a legal practitioner, has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking a restraining order aimed at stopping the Nigerian military from deploying its men to monitor the forth-coming general elections in the country.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/154/2019, the plaintiff listed the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Air Force as first to third defendants, while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was named the fourth defendant.
An affidavit deposed to by one Sumaiyya Mohammed, in support of the Originating Summons, stated that “it is the full responsibility of the Nigerian Police to provide security during election activities in the country.”
The deponent averred that the responsibilities of the Nigerian military include defending the country from external aggression, maintaining its territorial integrity and security of its borders from violations on land, sea or air.
According to the plaintiff, parts of the responsibilities also include, suppressing insurrection and acting in aid of civil authorities to restore order when called upon to do so by the President but subject to such condition as prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.
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He said voters would feel harassed and intimidated if the military was allowed to deploy their personnel, officers and men to polling units, collating and election venues throughout the country for election duties during the 2019 general elections.
The plaintiff called on the court to, among others, make “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the first to third defendants from deploying their personnel, officers and men to polling units, collation and election venues throughout the country for election duties during the 2019 general election.”
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
