Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) have taken the Federal Government and 25 other institutions to the Federal High Court in Abuja, demanding N66 trillion in damages over alleged decades of systemic neglect, discrimination and exclusion, Inclusive News Network reports.
The suit, marked No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1824/2026, was filed on August 12, 2026, by the PWDs Pioneers Consortium and has been fixed for initial hearing on August 24, 2026. The applicants are seeking judicial intervention on issues they say affect more than 40 million Nigerians with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
According to the applicants, the case represents a major legal action aimed at holding the Nigerian state accountable for what they describe as 66 years of intergenerational neglect and structural exclusion of Persons with Disabilities.
The applicants are demanding N66 trillion in general, structural and punitive damages, calculated at N1 trillion for every year of alleged state neglect and economic disenfranchisement since Nigeria gained independence on October 1, 1960.
They are also seeking an Emergency Writ of Mandamus compelling the Federal Government to reform the institutional framework for disability affairs. Among their demands is the creation of a fully elevated Federal Ministry of Disability and Rehabilitation Affairs, with disability policies and resources harmonised in accordance with the principle of “Nothing About Us Without Us.”
Another major aspect of the suit concerns the recognition of severe psychosocial trauma among Almajiri children, internally displaced persons, conflict-exposed youths, wounded combat veterans and survivors of human trafficking. The applicants argue that untreated trauma has serious implications for Nigeria’s security and socio-economic challenges.
The applicants are further asking the court to halt the ongoing 1999 constitutional amendment process until disability rights, accessibility and inclusion are adequately incorporated. They are relying, among other legal grounds, on Nigeria’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) and the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018.
The suit also seeks orders restraining what the applicants describe as unauthorised conventions and elections within the disability movement. They are asking the court to enforce an earlier judgment of the High Court of Cross River State concerning the governing constitution of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities.
In addition, the applicants want comprehensive forensic audits, investigations and recovery of public funds, donor contributions and disability intervention funds allegedly mismanaged or diverted over the years. They are specifically calling on relevant anti-corruption agencies and the Auditor-General for the Federation to undertake the exercise.
The applicants are also asking the Federal Government to compel all 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory and the 774 Local Government Areas to establish fully funded Disability Implementation Commissions, with implementation dating back to January 23, 2019.
Those listed as applicants include Lady Omotunde Ellen Thompson, Co-Founder and Life-Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of JONAPWD and Founder/CEO of the Center for Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities; Chief Eric Ndubueze Ufom, President/CEO of Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities International; and Brigadier General Dr. Lonsdale Oladeji Adeoye (Rtd.), President of the Foundation for the Support of Nigerian Veterans, alongside the Center for Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities.
The respondents include the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, National Assembly, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Central Bank of Nigeria, NNPC Limited, several federal ministries and agencies, the Nigerian Governors Forum and other institutions.
The applicants say the lawsuit is the culmination of more than 27 years of disability advocacy, describing it as a transition from policy advocacy and negotiations to judicial enforcement of the rights of Persons with Disabilities.
They maintain that the case demonstrates that access to justice should not be restricted by the ability to secure elite legal representation, but should remain a fundamental right available to all citizens.
The Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, is expected to hear the matter on August 24, 2026, when the parties will have an opportunity to present their respective positions on the issues raised in the suit.
The claims and reliefs contained in the lawsuit are those advanced by the applicants and remain subject to determination by the court.
