Justice Bello Kawu of a high court sitting in Abuja has struck out a suit filed by human rights activist, Okenechukwu Okeke against Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Aisha Yusufu, Falz, Pastor Sam Adeyemi and 47 other celebrities and activists over their activities during the October 2020 #End SARS protest.
      The Judge in a ruling delivered on Friday, July 2 also restrained the Nigerian police force and Okeke from taking any steps to prosecute the individuals for their role played during the #End SARS protest.
      Okeke had in November 2020, filed criminal proceedings before a magistrate court in Abuja against the 50 persons over claims they promoted the October 2020 #End SARS protests.
     In the suit, he alleged that the defendants acted in a manner with intent to assist in the promotion of an unlawful assembly under the guice or composition of #End SARS.
     The defendants had however filed a suit before a magistrate court seeking the dismissal of the charges, while Okeke had filed a countersuit. The magistrate’s court had in its ruling, ordered the commissioner of police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to investigate the defendants and report back to the court after two weeks.
      However, in the ruling delivered on Friday, Justice Kawu ruled that the suit filed by Deji Adeyanju in his representative capacity is proper, adding that the high court was acting in its supervisory Jurisdiction over the magistrate court against the criminal proceedings filed by Okeke.
     Samuel Ihensekheing counsel for Adeyanju and 49 other #End SARS protesters while reacting to the judgement said the ruling shows that peaceful protest is legal and not a crime in Nigeria.
     “By virtue of today’s ruling, his motion for dismissal of this substantive case has been dismissed by the honourable FCT high court. The consequence of it is that the court will hear the substantive application to formally dismiss the pending criminal complaint and charge before the court.