The Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed January 19, 2022, for hearing in a N50 million suit filed by The Guardian reporter, Mr. Eniola Daniel, against the Chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Shola Jejeloye.

The Lagos State Government and Police authorities are the other defendants.

The journalist is accusing men of the task force of brutally assaulting him.

The case is before Justice Yellin Bogoro.

Daniel is alleging that thugs engaged by the task force and policemen under Mr. Jejeloye’s supervision tortured and brutalised him on February 28, 2021, while he was covering the destruction of shanties in the Oshodi area of Lagos by members of the task force.

In the Originating Summons filed on behalf of Mr. Daniel by human rights lawyers, Ms Chioma Nwaodike and Ms Obioma Okonkwo, the journalist named as respondents CSP Jejeloye, the Inspector-General of Police, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, and the Governor of Lagos State.

He is asking the court to declare that the act of beating, slapping, punching, physically assaulting him, confiscating and damaging his Nikon Digital Camera, Sony Digital Voice Recorder, Bluetooth earphone, and his mobile phones while he was carrying out his journalistic duty at Ladipo Market in Oshodi in Lagos by police officers attached to the task force, under the supervision of CSP Jejeloye, violates his fundamental rights to dignity, freedom of expression and his right to freedom from compulsory acquisition of property, all rights protected by the Constitution and the African Charter.

The journalist is also asking the court to direct the respondents jointly and severally to pay him N50 million as damages for the violation of his rights to human dignity, freedom of expression and freedom from compulsory acquisition of his property.

He said after informing CSP Jejeloye that all his devices had been confiscated and destroyed by the taskforce men and the thugs working with them, the police officer ordered his men to check through the damaged phones to confirm that there was no picture of the incident.

Daniel recalled that when CSP Jejeloye was satisfied that there was no more evidence of the incident on his phones, he directed his men to release him.

He said after leaving the scene of the incident, he was taken to a hospital for medical treatment.

He exhibited a copy of the medical report and pictures of him taken after the beating.