By Divine Sam

Nollywood actor Emeka Ike has expressed disappointment following the dismissal of his N10 billion fundamental human rights suit against Lere Olayinka, a Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The actor, reacting to the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, questioned the extent to which citizens could seek protection against alleged violations of their rights, particularly when such incidents involve online bullying, public embarrassment and reputational damage.

Expressing his frustration, Ike argued that victims of alleged rights violations could find themselves without the justice they expected, raising concerns about the protection available to individuals who believe their dignity has been undermined.

“It’s even crazy that your right will be violated and the judge will tell you it’s not a fundamental human right. Then what is a fundamental human right? The embarrassment, the bullying online,” he said.

The court, presided over by Justice Salim Ibrahim, dismissed the suit on Wednesday after upholding preliminary objections raised by the respondents.

According to the report, the judge ruled that the case was incompetent and improperly constituted, leading to its dismissal.

Ike had sought N10 billion in damages over alleged violations of his fundamental human rights.

The ruling marks a setback for the actor’s legal action, while his reaction has drawn attention to the broader question of how individuals can seek redress over alleged online harassment, public embarrassment and other actions they consider violations of their rights.

However, the dismissal was based on the court’s findings concerning the competence and constitution of the suit, rather than a reported determination of the underlying allegations on their merits.