. An Owerri Federal High Court presided by Justice Folashade Olubanjo has fixed judgment for September 26, 2012 in a suit filed by the Chairman of South East Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya against Governor Rochas Okorocha and ten other persons over an alleged unlawful invasion of his palace extension in Owerri by agents of the Imo State government on August 5, 2011, to cart aware some vehicles in his absence. The suit brought under “an application for an order for the enforcement of fundamental rights” also has as defendants, the Attorney General of Imo state, Commissioner of Police Imo State, Inspector General of Police and the Police Service Commission. Others are the Chairman and members of the Imo State Government Committee for the Recovery of Government Properties namely Chief Placid Ekwueme, Peter Onu, High Chief Uche Njoku, Chief Ugochukwu Nnawuihe, Hyginus Nwosu and Hon Larry Ajero who carried out the contentious raid. Eze Ilomuanya, who is also challenging his removal as chairman of Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers in court, is claiming the sum of N500, 000, 000. 00 as damages for the violation of his fundamental rights and order restraining the governor and other defendants “by themselves, their servants and or agents from entering into the applicants property aforesaid or any other property of the applicant or otherwise harassing, threatening, hounding or intimidating the applicant or violating his fundamental rights in any manner”. The monarch is also demanding” a public apology from the governor and other respondents in three national dailies for the barbaric and uncivilized acts” Ilomuanya’s legal team led by Obiora Obianwu, SAN had argued that the invasion of the monarch’s residence and the forceful removal of properties from his home in his absence and without any order of court amounts to a violation of Eze Ilomuanya’s fundamental rights guaranteed under Section 36, 37 and 44 of the 1999 Constitution and Articles 3 (1) (2), 7, 14 and 15 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act. Obianwu who cited several legal authorities and tendered exhibits, argued that what the governor and his agents did in invading Ilomuanya’s residence viet – armis is not justified by any law existing in Nigeria, adding that the conduct of the state government is uncivilized and barbaric. The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Imo State Barr. Soronnadi Njoku led the state government’s legal team
