- Two Nigerian lawyers, Kenneth Udeze and Ikenga Ugochinyere, are seeking an injunction to restrain the federal government or its agents from giving effect to an executive order reportedly restraining 50 Nigerians from travelling out of the country
- The litigants fault Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court for failing to nullify the executive order which they argue violates the rights of citizens
- Femi Falana, a senior lawyer and human rights activist, says the executive order allegedly imposing a travel ban on some Nigerians is a violation of the law
Two Nigerian lawyers, Kenneth Udeze and Ikenga Ugochinyere, have reportedly instituted an action at the Court of Appeal in a bid to reverse the executive order 6 which reportedly banned 50 prominent Nigerians from travelling out of the country.
The Nation reports that the initiators of the suit on Monday, October 15, asked the Court of Appeal to set aside October 11 judgement of the Federal High Court upholding the constitutionality of the presidential order.
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They are also seeking an injunction to restrain the president and the attorney general of the federation (AGF) or their agents from giving effect to order pending the determination of the appeal.
In the suit, the plaintiffs faulted the decision of the Federal High Court in validating the order, arguing that the trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, erred in law when she ruled that the order did not violate the rights of citizens to own property.
The litigants also faulted the judge for declaring that the powers of the attorney general as regard enforcing the order, must be exercised in accordance with the provisions of the constitution, instead of nullifying the order.
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The lawyers contented that none of the persons being restricted by the order had been found guilty as charged, as their respective trials are still ongoing in various courts in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Femi Falana, a senior lawyer and human rights activist has said the travel ban placed on 50 high-profile Nigerians by President Muhammadu Buhari would expose the current administration to ridicule.
The Cable reports that Falana in a statement on Sunday, October 14, said the directive which is backed by an executive order signed by the president was a violation of the law.
The senior lawyer stated that only the courts and anti-corruption agencies could impose restrictions on persons in the country.
He called on the federal government to withdraw the ban without any delay, noting that the ban was a reminder of how the military imposed restrictions on political opponents by seizure of their passports and restricting their movement.
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Source: Naija.ng
