Ayotunde Richard, a gospel singer and former member of Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries (MFM), has filed a suit against the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Daniel Olukoya, over an alleged breach of his fundamental human rights.
Other respondents in the case are Davison Olaniran Adejuwon Esq; Superintendent of Police Tawose Ayoleyi Ajayi and the Nigeria Police Force.
Olukoya, Davidson, Ajayi and the Nigeria Police Force are the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Respondents respectively.
Ayotunde who was the leader of the cleric’s backup singers alleged that Olukoya had him locked up at the Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, Ikoyi for eight days.
He described his detention by the police as illegal, oppressive and a brazen abuse of power.
He claimed that his phones were collected and handed over to Olukoya in an attempt to find the names of the perceived enemies of the church.
According to him, Olukoya used his influence to have him detained in connivance with Superintendent Ayoleyi Tawose Ajayi, who is reportedly also a member of MFM and a close ally of the cleric.
Ayotunde also joined Davidson Adejuwon, a legal representative to Olukoya, in the suit.
He accused him of playing critical roles in the perusal of his mobile phones and claimed that his detention in July 2023 at FCID was outrageous.
Ayotunde is asking the court to compel the Respondents to issue a letter of unconditional apology for breaching his Right to Privacy.
He is seeking from the court among others “A DECLARATION that the Applicant, a Nigerian Citizen, has a guarantee to rights to personal liberty, dignity of human life and privacy of his person, home, correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraphic communications as enshrined in Sections 34,35 and 37 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended).
“A DECLARATION that the violent arrest of the Applicant on July 18th 2023 at 12:30 am thereabouts by the 3 and 4th Respondent is WRONGFUL unconstitutional, arbitrary and excessive.
“A DECLARATION that the detention of the Applicant from July 18, 2023, to July 26, 2023, at the Federal Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon, Ikoyi by the 3 and 4 Respondents before charging him to court as regard the complaint of one Opeyemi Emmanuel against him grossly offends Section 34,35,36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended) and therefore illegal, outrageous and oppressive.
“A DECLARATION that the 3rd and 4th Respondents’ forcible seizure and confiscation of the two mobile telephones of the Applicant of models [a] iPhone 12 Pro Max (b) Samsung Galaxy S 20 F July 18 2023 whilst in their custody and retention of the phones till date is a violent breach of the Applicant’s rights, thus illegal, oppressive and a brazen abuse of power.”
He is asking the court to order the 3rd and 4th Respondents to pay the Applicant the “sum of N500 million for the illegal arrest and detention of the Applicant from July 18, 2023 to July 25, 2023 at their Federal Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon, Lagos, subjecting him to severe physical agony Indignities, mental stress, loss of liberty, loss of earning”.
He is also seeking “AN ORDER OF PAYMENT OF 5 BILLION NAIRA IN GENERAL DAMAGES by the 3rd and 4th Respondents to the Applicant for the forcible, illegal seizure, confiscation and accessing the SAMSUNG GALAXY S 20 FE and iPhone 12 PRO MAX phones of the Applicant whilst in their custody from July 18, 2023 to July 26, 2023 without his authority and consent thereby illegally and unconstitutionally breaching the privacy of the Applicant’s information, communications as contained in the said phones.
“AN ORDER OF PAYMENT OF 5 BILLION NAIRA IN GENERAL DAMAGES by the RESPONDENTS for illegal, unconstitutional access to the information and communications inside of the Applicant’s SAMSUNG GALAXY S 20 FE and iPhone 17 PRO MAX manipulating the use of same without the authority consent and approval of the Applicant and which said illegal unconstitutional access and use caused the Applicant monumental loss, grave exposure, psychological trauma and destabilization.
“AN ORDER OF PAYMENT OF 5 BILLION NAIRA IN EXEMPLARY DAMAGES by the RESPONDENTS for their illegal, unconstitutional access to information and communication of the Applicant’s SAMSUNG GALAXY S 20 FE and IPHONE 12 PRO MAX phones and use of such extracted information without the authority and approval of the Applicant and which said illegal, unconstitutional access and use has caused the Applicant huge public embarrassment psychological trauma and destabilization and heightened sense of insecurity and exposure.
“AN ORDER compelling the Respondents to issue a letter of unconditional apology to the Applicant for breaching his Right to Privacy their illegal, unconstitutional access to and use of the information and communication of the Applicant’s SAMSUNG GALAXY S 20 FE and iPhone 12 PRO MAX phones without the authority and consent of the Applicant.
“AND FOR SUCH FURTHER OR OTHER ORDERS as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this suit.”
The matter was slated for hearing on February 9, 2024, before Justice Olatokun at the Ikeja High Court.
Ayotunde had raised the alarm that Olukoya was after his life.
In a viral video obtained by SaharaReporters, the man is seen calling on the Acting Inspector General Police to help him investigate how Olukoya got access to his phones which were reportedly collected from him (Ayotunde) by a police officer, Supo Ayoleyi at FCID while he was detained there.
