Lagos, Nigeria - The Lagos state branch of the umbrella Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) on Thursday filed a lawsuit challenging the federal government over its deployment of troops to the state to quell fuel protests on Monday.

According to the local PM newspaper, the suit, filed at the Lagos High Court, is seeking the withdrawal of the soldiers.

No date has been fixed for hearing in the suit, which was accompanied by an affidavit of ‘urgency’.

A member of the NBA, Ebun Olu Adegboruwa, said the action became necessary to “determine the course of our democracy, especially the rights of the people”.

The deployment of troops to the streets of Lagos to quash the protests has attracted angry reactions from the Lagos state government, which called on the President to withdraw them, as well as many individuals and groups.

Critics said the deployment violates the country's constitution, which guarantees freedom of assembly.

But the federal government said the deployment was to forestall a breakdown of law and order, following days of protests over the withdrawal of state subsidy on fuel.

Pana 20/01/2012