Assault: Bash Ali Slams N1bn Suit On Dalung, IGP

Nigerian boxer, Bash Ali (OON) (right) on hospital bed in Abuja and Sports Minister, Barrister Solomon Dalung 

World Boxing Federation (WBF)  cruiserweight champion, Nigerian Bashiru Lawrence Ali (OON)  has taken Honourable Minister of Sports and Social Development, Barrister Solomon Dalung to an Abuja High Court alleging that the Minister instructed his aide to assault him and beat him up. 

According to the motion filed on behalf of Bash Ali by his solicitor, B. O Nafagha Esq. of Edafe Chamber, Abuja, the ageless pugilist is seeking an “Order of the Court declaring the Assault, Beating and Treatment of the Applicant by the Respondents on the 13th day of  February, 2017 as unlawful, illegal, unconstitutional and a breach of his Fundamental Human Rights to  dignity of  his person as provided for under Sections 34 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended) 2011 as well as Articles 5 of the African Charter on Human & Peoples Rights and Articles IV of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948.

“An order of this Honourable Court compelling the Respondents to pay to the Applicant  the sum of  N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) only  as Compensatory Damages and Public Apology in two National Newspapers for the breach of his Fundamental Human Right to his dignity as person on 13th of February, 2017.

“An order of this Honourable Court compelling the Respondents to pay to the Applicant  the sum of  N8,000,000.00 (Eight Million Naira) only  as Cost of Litigation as a result of the Assault, Beating and treatment melted on the Applicant on 13th of February, 2017. ”

The ground upon which Bash Ali is seeking the relief  is” that around 1.30pm on 13th of February, 2017, Officers of the 1st and 3rd Respondents led by the 2nd Respondent did the following to the Applicant: Assaulted  and beat up the Applicant; hit him to the ground with the butt of their guns, pummeled him into a state of unconsciousness and dragged him with both legs out of the office of the 1st Respondent and deposited him on the ground in front of the office.

“The Applicant was humiliated and ridiculed by the treatment he received from officer of the 1st and 3rd Respondents at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja.”

PM EXPRESS gathered that apart from Minster Dalung, other respondents in the suit are Nansel Nimyel, Personal Assistant to the Minister, who started the assault  and beating of the applicant by pushing him violently to kick start  the assault on him. The Inspector General of Police whose officers among those who assaulted and beat up the Applicant. Charles Boga and one Mr Joseph who are police officers working with the Minister who assaulted and beat up Bash Ali.

Narrating his ordeal in the hands of Sports Minister and his aides, Bash Ali in a sworn affidavit made available to PM EXPRESS at the weekend said that by 8am on Monday 13th February 2017, he and members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of his Guinness Book of World Record fight “went to the office of the Hon. Minister and we were asked by the 2nd Respondent to wait as the Hon. Minister was very busy in his office.

” That we waited till 1:45pm when His Excellency, the Ambassador of Hungary walked in and after exchanging pleasantries with me, the doors to the office of the Hon. Minister were thrown open to the Ambassador by the 2nd Respondent.

“That I then raised my voice to protest and said that “I and my Local Organizing Committee team came throughout last week to see the Hon. Minister to no avail and we have been waiting since 8am and now the Ambassador from Hungary who has just come is walking in to see the Hon. Minister. This is extremely humiliating to my person in my own Country that I have brought a lot of glory”

“That while I was still talking, the 2nd Respondent shouted at me that I should shut up my dirty mouth and that he is acting on the Minister instruction and thereafter he pushed me violently from the way and as I staggered, the 4th Respondent punched me at the back of my head and the 5th Respondent descended on me. Both Police officers used the butt of their gun to hit me on my head and my lower back and they beat me until I collapsed on the floor. A Copy of one of the pictures taken while I was lying unconscious in the Minister’s office is hereto attached and marked as EXH. “D”.

“That I was thereafter dragged on the ground like a common criminal and deposited outside the Minister’s office. One of the pictures where people were trying to revive me where I was deposited outside the Minister’s office is hereto attached and marked as EXH. “E”.

“That I was unconscious for about an hour until the Ministry sent for paramedics who then carried me in a stretcher to the Ministry Staff Clinic where I was given first aid treatment and when they saw that I was in extreme pains, I was immediately transferred to the Emergency Ward of the National Hospital where I stayed for about 8 hours before I was rushed to the Trauma Department  at National Hospital where I spent two days. One of the pictures when I was being carried in a Car to the National Hospital and another picture showing me as an inpatient at the National Hospital are hereto attached and marked as  EXH. “F & G” respectively.

“That what the Respondents did to me was published in many newspapers (both Local and International), shown on Television and published in the Social Media which has seriously humiliated me and my career both within and outside the Country.

“That as a result of the assault and humiliation I suffered from the Respondents, I was forced to brief a Lawyer who charged me N8,000,000.00 (Eight Million Naira) only  to sue the Respondents.  A receipt of part payment of N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira) only  is hereto attached and marked as  EXH. “H”.

The Minister through his media aide, Nneka Ikem denied Bash Ali ‘s allegations, saying “Bash Ali barricaded the entrance to the office of the Minister with the men who accompanied him as he questioned why the ambassador would be allowed to see the Minister while he, who came earlier was not given.”

She said the boxer was not assaulted in a  press statement released in the wake of the incident.

PM EXPRESS however gathered that no date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.