Politics Police Ordered to pay N2.5m to Suntai's Media Aide for unlawful detention

L

LequteMan

Guest
The Federal High Court in Jalingo has ordered the Police to pay N2.5 million compensation to Mr Sylvanus Giwa, the Media Assistant to the Governor of Taraba and his friends for unlawful arrest and detention.

Counsel to Giwa, Mr Ibrahim Iffiong had told the court that the police arrested and detained his client and four of his friends on Sept 27, 2013.

Iffiong said that the police detained them without confronting them with grounds and facts of action as required by section 35 (1 and 3) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

Iffiong, therefore, prayed the court to order the police to apologise and pay them N200 million as compensation for the unlawful act.

Counsel to the police, Mr Henry Ogbeiwi, had argued that the police were doing the lawful duties assigned to them.

But the court overruled Ogbeiwi’s argument, holding that the police had to do their duties within the ambits of the law.

Justice Donatus Okorowo said the police violated the fundamental human rights of the media aide and his four friends.

"The police didn't justify the arrest of the applicants, so any other action on them amounted to violation of their rights to freedom of assembly, association and privacy’’, the judge held.

Okorowo added that the unlawful detention violated section 41 of the 1999 Constitution which deals with freedom of movement in any part of the country.

The judge, therefore, ordered the police to pay N2.5 million to the plaintiffs for unlawfully arresting and detaining them.


gavel.jpg
 
Back
Top