Nigerian protesters seeking the return of more than 200 girls kidnapped by Islamist group Boko Haram said on Tuesday they would challenge a ban on their daily protests in court.
Nigerian police on Monday banned any more protests in the capital Abuja concerning the campaign to get the girls back, saying they could be hijacked by "dangerous elements" who could threaten state security.
The girls were snatched from the remote northeastern village of Chibok, near the Cameroon border, on April 14.
About one hundred protesters turned up at the federal high court in Nigeria's capital to file a motion seeking to declare null and void the purported ban on protests by the police.
"We are asking for an order for the enforcement of the fundamental human rights of the applicant to freedom of conscience, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly as well as her right to associate guaranteed by sections 38, 39 and 40 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria," lawyer and member of the "bring back our girls campaign", Maryam Uwais said.
Much of the anger of the protests, and a #BringBackOurGirls Twitter campaign that helped fuel it, has been directed towards the government for failing to protect the girls.
A Reuters investigation revealed that there were a number of missteps along the way, including failure to respond to a distress call hours in advance.
Maryam Uwais says they also want over a million dollars in compensation.
"We are asking for an order of perpetual injunction restraining him, his agents and privies from further preventing us as aggrieved Nigerians from taking part in any protest and rallies in exercise of the freedom of conscience expression and assembly and we are asking for an order directing the respondent to pay to us the sum of 200 million naira (1,212,121 US dollars) as damages for the said act of violation," she said.
Lawyer and counsel to the "Bring Back Our Girls" protesters, Femi Falana says the action by the police is illegal.
"We have the court of appeal restraining the police perpetually from preventing any group of Nigerians to demonstrate and protest peacefully. What Mbu (commissioner of police, Abuja) has done yesterday is not only illegal, it's contemptuous and contempt is a criminal offense and I'm talking of contempt committed ex facie curiae. It's a criminal offense, we are also lodging a complaint to the attorney general of the federation to have Mbu prosecuted," the lawyer said.
The girls' plight has shone the international spotlight on a violent 5-year-old battle for an Islamic state by insurgents who have killed thousands since 2009.
At least 530 civilians have been killed by the insurgents since the day of the abduction.
United States troops are in neighboring Chad on a mission to find them.
Britain and France have also offered help.
Nigerian authorities argue they face an unenviable dilemma; if they try to free the girls, some risk getting killed, or if they offer the rebels money or a prisoner swap, this would only leave them stronger, endangering more lives in the long run.
A reluctance to pursue either strategy has created a stalemate, officials say.
REUTERS