Nigeria’s first lady sued over alleged illegal detention and assault of ex-aide

VOICE AIR MEDIA News Update

First Lady, Aisha Buhari has been sued by her former aide, Zainab Kassim, for N100m in damages over alleged illegal detention and assault.

The former Special Assistant to the President in the Office of the First Lady filed a suit for the enforcement of her fundamental rights against Aisha Buhari as she alleged that some Department of State Service officers acting on the orders of the First Lady allegedly abducted her and took her to the Presidential Villa where she was severely assaulted, dehumanised and abused.

Other respondents in the case include the Inspector-General of Police and the Department of State Services.

Kassim alleged that the assault was carried out with the support of officers of the DSS and Police after she deleted her posts on social media.

In the suit with the number: FHC/ABJ/OS/202/2023 obtained by our correspondent on Friday, she asked the court to declare her arrest and detention as unlawful.

Some of the things she’s demanding for include;

“Declaration that the abduction, arrest and detention of the applicant between 18th of November, 2022 and 22nd of November, 2022, and the threat to further arrest and detain the applicant by agents of the 2nd and 3rd respondents on the orders and directives of the 1st respondent, without an order of court is unconstitutional, unlawful, illegal, null, void and constitutes a violation of her rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement.

“A declaration that the torture, brutalisation and dehumanisation of the applicant by the 1st respondent and agents of the 2nd and 3rd respondents, on 18th of November, 2022 is unconstitutional, unlawful, illegal and constitutes a violation of her right to dignity of the human person.

“A declaration that the threats by the agents of the 2nd and 3rd respondents to the applicant, of further abduction, arrest, detention and assassination of the applicant if she brings any claims for fundamental rights enforcement against the respondents is unconstitutional, unlawful, illegal, constitutes torture and a violation of her rights to life, fair hearing and dignity of human person.

“An order restraining the respondents either by themselves or their agents or subordinates from further abducting, arresting, detaining, torturing or threatening to abduct, arrest, detain or assassinate the applicant or otherwise violating the fundamental rights of the Applicant.

“An order directing the 2nd respondent to release the applicant’s Note 20 Ultra mobile phone to her immediately. Damages, jointly and severally against the respondents, in the sum of N100,000,000.00.”

The case is yet to be assigned to a judge.