A Lagos State High Court, Yaba, has fixed December 1 for hearing of an application seeking to compel the federal government and the police to enforce a judgment in favour of the families of four Ekwulobia youths allegedly killed by police officers in 2014.
 
Justice Funke Sule-Amzat fixed the date when the matter came up for mention.
 
The applicants – Akaraka Chinweike Ezeonara and the Ekwulobia Imeobi Obinwanne Youth Association, acting on behalf of the bereaved families, are seeking an order of mandamus against the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), over the alleged failure to comply with the court’s judgment.
 
In a motion on notice filed in suit No LD/354/MFHR/2014, the applicants asked the court to compel the respondents, described as judgment debtors, to implement the orders made in the fundamental rights enforcement proceedings.
 
The case, which began in 2014 following the death of four youths, was initially struck out on March 9, 2015, by Justice Oyindamola Ogala, who held that the applicants lacked the legal standing to institute a fundamental rights action on behalf of the deceased.
 
Dissatisfied with the decision, the applicants approached the Appeal Court, Lagos Division, which set aside the High Court’s decision on December 15, 2020, and directed transfer to another judge for rehearing.
 
Consequently, Justice Sule-Amzat heard the substantive suit and on March 15, 2023, delivered judgment in favour of the applicants.
 
The judgment included orders for the payment of monetary compensation to the victims’ families and disciplinary action against the police officers found culpable of the offence.
 
The applicants, however, alleged they returned to court following non-enforcement of the judgment three years after and despite expiration of the statutory 14-day period after notices were served on them.
 
In the affidavits filed in support of the latest application, Ezeonara stated that formal demands and reminders were sent to the AGF and police authorities between April and July 2026, requesting the implementation of the judgment.
 
In the motion dated August 17, the applicants asked the court to issue an order of mandamus compelling the AGF to exercise the constitutional powers under Section 174(1)(b) of the Constitution in relation to the necessary consent or fiat for enforcement of the judgment.
 
They also want the court to compel IGP and NPF to pay the judgment sum and commence disciplinary proceedings against the officers found responsible for the crime, while authorities should release the corpses of the deceased youths to their families for burial, arguing that unless the court intervenes, the judgment may remain unenforced, thereby depriving families of the reliefs already granted by the court.
 
The matter has been adjourned to December 1 for hearing of the application.