A Federal High Court in Abuja has fined Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello N500 million for violating the fundamental rights of Murtala Ajaka, who was the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on November 11 in Kogi.
Justice Inyang Ekwo also directed Bello to tender public apology to Ajaka “for the gross and unwarranted violation” of his rights.
Justice Ekwo equally made an order directing the security agencies and their heads, listed as second to seventh respondents, to provide maximum security and ensure Ajaka’s safety, including his property, within Abuja, Kogi and Nigeria before, during and after the governorship poll of November 11.
The judge further made “an order of injunction, restraining the security agencies from arresting/abducting, detaining and/or further harassing, intimidating, shooting/threatening the applicant’s life and properties.”
Ajaka filed the originating motion on July 11.
He said prior to this time, he contested in the Kogi governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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Ajaka averred that to dissuade him from contesting the APC primary, the governor, who had announced his cousin Usman Ododo as his successor, pointedly demanded that he stepped down.
“He (Bello) further accompanied this demand with threats to taking my life on failure of compliance,” he alleged.
The applicant said in view of the foregoing, he sought audience with the then President, Muhammadu Buhari, where he intimated him of these threats with a request for intervention and protection.
“The president, in response, requested that the applicant make a formal report to his official and relevant security agencies, which he did,” he alleged.
Ajaka further alleged that Bello’s schemes became unwieldy when he (Ajaka) moved to the SDP and secured the party’s ticket as its governorship candidate for the November 11 poll.
