By BONIFACE AKARAH

A Federal High Court in Abuja is expected to hear arguments tomorrow, Wednesday, September 9, in a major disability rights lawsuit in which a coalition representing Nigerians living with disabilities is seeking sweeping legal and institutional reforms, including the creation of a cabinet-level Federal Ministry of Disability and Institute for Rehabilitation Affairs.

The matter, Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1824/2026, is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik at Court House 7 of the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, the Pioneers, Class Representatives and Ad Hoc Consortium of Nigeria’s National and International Disability Civil Rights Movement said the amended case would now focus exclusively on the Federal Government, the National Assembly and relevant federal ministries and agencies.

The applicants, operating under the Independent Monitoring Mechanism (IMM) of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, said their pro bono counsel would move an emergency motion for interim relief and a writ of mandamus at the hearing.

The applicants said Issues relating to the internal governance of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities of Nigeria (JONAPWD-National) would be severed and pursued in a separate suit.

A major Issue expected before the court is the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution by the 10th National Assembly.

The applicants said they would ask the court to “Halt Non-Inclusive Constitutional Amendments” by restraining the National Assembly from proceeding with the review until disability rights and participation are fully integrated into the process.

They said the application would rely, among other provisions, on Article 4 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and what they described as the binding Supreme Court precedent in AG Kogi State v. AGF (SC/CV/178/2023).

At the centre of the amended suit is the demand for the establishment of a cabinet-level Federal Ministry of Disability and Institute for Rehabilitation Affairs to replace the existing National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) as the principal federal institutional framework for disability affairs.

The applicants described the proposed ministry as their “central demand”, arguing that persons with disabilities require direct governmental representation, greater institutional autonomy and stronger participation in policymaking.

The coalition said its case also rests on the argument that Nigeria’s existing legal framework covers trauma-induced psychiatric conditions as disabilities.

It cited Article 1 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Section 57 of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, arguing that long-term mental impairments fall within the legal definition of disability.

The applicants alleged that millions of Nigerians affected by severe trauma, including Almajiri children, internally displaced persons, wounded military veterans and survivors of human trafficking, remain inadequately covered by existing disability protection and support systems.

They said the evidence and legal arguments would form part of their case for broader clinical mental-health tracking and rehabilitation services for persons living with disabilities and other traumatised populations.

The applicants are also asking the court for declarations and mandatory orders concerning the implementation of the 2018 disability law, the constitutional review process and the establishment of disability commissions across the 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory and the 774 local government areas.

Another relief seeks forensic audits by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Auditor-General of public and international donor funds allocated to disability welfare from independence to date.

The suit also contains a claim for ?66 trillion in structural and punitive damages.

The applicants said the amount represents ?1 trillion for each year since Nigeria’s independence in 1960, which they attribute to what they describe as decades of “intentional exclusion, systemic neglect, unaddressed PTSD, and intergenerational trauma.”

The case is being led by Lady Omotunde Ellen Thompson, Life-Chairperson of the JONAPWD Board of Trustees; Chief Eric Ndubueze Ufom, President/CEO of ERPWDI; and Brigadier General Dr Lonsdale Oladeji Adeoye (Rtd.), President of the Foundation for the Support of Nigerian Veterans.

The applicants said Wednesday’s proceedings would mark another stage in their attempt to secure what they describe as a “structural” change in the way disability rights are addressed by the Nigerian government.

The matter Is scheduled for hearing at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik at the Federal High Court, Abuja.