Lecturer asks court to stop media from attributing bandit attacks to Fulani

A university lecturer, Dr Ahmadu Shehu, has prayed a Federal High Court, Abuja, to order media houses to, henceforth, stop attributing bandit or terrorist attacks in any part of the country to persons of Fulani extraction.

Shehu, a Fulani origin from Jada Jada in Adamawa, in a motion on notice marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1729/2022 and filed before Justice Inyang Ekwo, also sought an order directing nine media houses joined as respondents in the suit to jointly pay him N100 million as exemplary damages.

He said the demand was in consonance with Section 46 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Article 8 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights against the respondents severally and or jointly for violation of his fundamental human rights.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while Shehu is the applicant, the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) are 1st to 3rd respondents, respectively.

Also joined in the suit are Channels Television Ltd, African Independent Television (AIT) Ltd, Guardian Newspaper NIg Ltd, Peoples Gazette Ltd, Vintage Press Ltd, ThisDay Newspaper Ltd, African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, TVC Communications, Vanguard Media Ltd as 4th to 12 respondents respectively.

In the suit dated Sept. 21, 2022, and filed Sept. 29, 2022, by his lawyer, Mohammed Yunusa, Shehu sought five declarations and three orders.

These include “a declaration that the unsubstantiated ascription of bandits and/or terrorist attacks in various parts of Nigeria to people of Fulani extraction.

”The description of perpetrators of such attacks as ‘Fulani Herdsmen’ and/or ‘Fulani Bandits’ by the 4th to 12th respondents is inordinate, unconscionable, discriminatory and a violation of their right to enjoy all the civil rights recognised and guaranteed by Article 2 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, Article 1 of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms Of Racial Discrimination; and Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights