Judge excuses self from suit challenging passage of Infectious Disease Bill over misrepresentation of facts

A judge of the Federal High Court Abuja, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, has excused himself from the hearing of a suit filed by the Action Peoples Party challenging the proposed passage of the Infectious Disease Bill pending before the House of Representatives over what he describes as misrepresentation of facts in the matter.

After expressing his displeasure, he withdrew from the matter and returned the case file to the chief judge for re-assignment.

The bill seeks to empower the Federal Government to convert any property in the country, including private properties, to isolation centres.

It also seeks to empower the government to, upon mere suspicion that a person is infected with an infectious disease, arrest and detain the person for as long as necessary among other things.

Details later…