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| Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris |
An FCT High
Court sitting in Maitama yesterday ordered the Inspector General of
Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris to pay N1million each to four men for
violation of fundamental rights. The suit brought by the four men, Ozor
Okolocha, Elvis Obiaku, Edward Onyenoknone and Imoni Micah had the IGP
and the FCT Commissioner of Police as respondents.
The trial judge, Justice Jude Okeke in
his judgment held that the applicants were continuously detained by the
respondents at Keffi prisons, without remand order renewal (14 days
after the expiration of an earlier remand order) and without charges
preferred against them. “This is a gross violation of their
fundamental rights as provided by the provisions of section 35 of the
1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
“As compensation for the violation of
their fundamental rights, N1million should be paid to each of the
applicants for the hardship and embarrassment suffered by them”, the
judge ruled. Justice Okeke also held that the
detention of the applicants and violation of their rights to liberty
were not justified by the provisions of the Administration of Criminal
Justice Act (ACJA), 2015. He also ordered that the respondents should refrain from arresting the applicants over the issues in the suit.
The applicants were said to be arrested
on Dec. 17, 2015 and Jan. 6, 2016 at their home town of Ase-Omuku in
Ndokwa East LGA of Delta State and brought to Abuja by one Inspector
Tony Alabi. They were thereafter detained at Keffi prison on remand
order from an Abuja Magistrate Court.
However, at the expiration of the order,
no renewal was made until April 5, when the suit of violation of
fundamental human rights was filed before the high court.
Source: Daily Trust
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