Abuja — Three of the about 60 people arrested by the police after some youths on May 25, 2009 staged a protest over four weeks of power outage in some areas of Sabon Gari, Zaria, have taken the Kaduna State commissioner of police to court.

The victims, Alhaji Ibrahim Bello (Ate), Alhaji Bashir Sakadadi (former chairman of Sabon Gari Local Government Area) and Alhaji Awwal Rabah want the court under Justice Dogara Malam to determine among others, if their fundamental human right was respected by the police who arrested and held them in custody for four days without charging them to court.

"I also want the court to stop any other arrest in connection to that demonstration. I want the court to reaffirm my clients' liberty and freedom of movement. We are also demanding for the sum of three million Naira from the police as compensation for infringing on the right of my clients," lawyer to the victims Barrister Mark Jacob said.

The case was first mentioned in court on the 25th of June, 2009. It was later postponed to Tuesday July 7, 2009 where the counsels to the applicants and defendants made their preliminary submissions.

The presiding judge thereafter fixed Tuesday, August 4, 2009 for further hearing.

Earlier, in a counter affidavit, counsel to the defendants, Barrister Habibu Husseini said the applicants were arrested by the police based on security information that the applicants organised and sponsored the demonstration.

On Monday, May 25, 2009, some youths of Muchia and Chikaji in Sabon Gari, Zaria staged a peaceful demonstration to protest four weeks of power outage in the areas.

Mobile police drafted to the area then arrested about 60 of the protesters, including the three applicants. The police were allegedly said to have shot four people to dead, leaving several injured.