Dr. Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh, a Labour Party (LP) chieftain and former House of Representatives candidate, has filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, alleging persistent death threats from individuals he describes as "political enforcers" operating in Ebonyi State.
Ezeh, who contested for the Abakaliki/Izzi Federal Constituency seat in the 2023 elections, claims the threats were issued in response to his public commentary on governance and political developments in the state. The suit, filed under No.
CV/4130/25, lists Felix Okemini (a.k.a. Jango) and Sunday Ogbonnia (a.k.a. Bakassi) as respondents, with the Inspector-General of Police joined in the action to ensure law-enforcement oversight.
Invoking Sections 33, 38, 39, and 41 of the 1999 Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Ezeh seeks a judicial declaration that the alleged threats amount to unlawful violations of his rights to life, liberty, freedom of thought, expression, and dignity.
In his supporting affidavit, Ezeh states that the threats have made it "impossible to live freely without fear of being harmed," and insists that court intervention is necessary to "affirm the sanctity" of his fundamental freedoms.
Ezeh said he opted for legal redress rather than confrontation, stating, "I refuse to be dragged into the gutters. We are a country governed by laws, and I have chosen the legal path rather than succumb to intimidation. No man will stand idle while his life and that of his family are threatened."
Using Homeric imagery, Ezeh compared the alleged attacks to the dishonour King Odysseus faced on his return home, saying his critics hoped he would "run and never return." He disclosed that efforts to resolve the dispute amicably collapsed "under painful circumstances," forcing him to seek judicial protection.
Ezeh insists the threats escalate whenever he comments publicly on governance issues in Ebonyi State, a pattern he believes is politically motivated. A date is yet to be fixed for the hearing of the originating motion, though his legal team is seeking urgent protective orders to restrain the respondents from further harassment or interference.
As of press time, neither law-enforcement authorities nor the accused individuals have issued public statements addressing the allegations.
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