Lecturer Accuses Sanwo-Olu, CP Of Stigmatisation, Sues For N65m Damages

The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has been sued to court by Dr Adesola Adeleke, a lecturer at the Department of Chemical Science, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State.

Naija News reports that the suit which also joined the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State (Fifth responder), Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice (fourth), and Dr Bowale, the Medical Director, OPD Mainland Hospital, Lagos State (third), alleged the varsity don was stigmatised of COVID-19 disease.

The Lagos State Government is said to have declared Adeleke wanted upon her return to Lagos from South Africa.

In a motion ex-parte filed on her behalf by her counsel, Dr Tayo Oyewale of Olutayo Oyewale & Co, based in Ibadan, the OOU lecturer deposed to a 34-paragraph affidavit, claiming that she was stigmatised and made to undergo psychological trauma following her being declared wanted by the Sanwo-Olu government in a newspaper publication on August 23, 2021, for allegedly absconding from a quarantine lodge in Lagos.

Adeleke alleged further that she was snubbed in a mosquito-infested hotel in the Isolo area even though COVID-19 tests she took before she left South Africa, as well as the one upon her return to Lagos returned negative.

The lecturer said she was made to go through psychological trauma. Adeleke, thereby prayed for an order of the court restraining Lagos State, its agents and the police from arresting her or making inimical publications against her pending the determination of the suit.

She also prayed to the court for damages of N65m for her ordeal.

In the affidavit dated September 8, 2021, in the suit marked, ID/11869MFHR/2021, Adeleke claimed she had undergone the COVID-19 test and was declared negative.

Naija News reports that the lecturer had boarded a Kenyan Airline from South Africa where she had obtained her Doctoral degree at the University of Kwazulu, Pietermaritzburg campus.

On July 24, 2021, the lecturer was, however, is informed by the airline that it had received a directive from the Nigeria Government that she must pay N481,890.00 to book her in a hotel of her choice for 14 days and conduct another COVID-19  PCR test on arrival.

On her arrival at the Muritala Airport, Lagos, Adeleke said her passport, as well as that of her daughter, Adewumi Tiaramiyinoluwa, were collected, adding that the personnel of the Reginal Michael Suites, Ikeja, which she had booked on her portal, said they did not have her record.

She said: “I became stranded and I put up a call to my father, Prof. Adeleke, who arranged for me to return to my family house in Ibadan.

“On my arrival at my parents’ home in Ibadan, I visited the approved NCDC COVID-19 test centre (Medical Aid) at Oluyole, Ibadan, where further COVID-19 test was carried out on me on August 2, 2021, which further revealed that I was negative of COVID-19.”

Adeleke maintained her claims, praying the court to among others, restraining the fifth respondent from harassing, molesting, inviting and/or arrest the Applicant on the instruction of the first, second and third respondents and/or any agency of government until the final determination of this suit.

The suit added: “An order of this honourable court directing the first, second, third and fourth respondents to pay to the applicant the sum of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty million naira) only for the stigmatisation of the application as a COVID-19 carrier and the psychological trauma suffered by the applicant based on the act of the first, second and third respondents, respectively, as same violates her fundamental rights as protected under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

“An order compelling the first, second, third and fourth respondents to pay to the applicant the sum of N10,000,000.00 (Ten million naira) as special damages to the applicant.

“An order  of general damages of  ₦5,000,000.00 (five million naira) against the first, second, third and fourth respondents in favour of the applicant.”