Rights violation: Court orders IGP to pay N1m each to four persons

An Abuja high court, on Monday, ordered Ibrahim Idris, the inspector-general of police, to pay N1m each to four men for violation of their fundamental human rights.

The men — Ozor Okolocha, Elvis Obiaku, Edward Onyenoknone and Imoni Micah — hail from Ase-Omuku in Delta state.

The respondents in the case are the inspector-general of police and the FCT commissioner of Police.

In his judgment, the presiding judge held that the respondents in the matter refused to renew the order of remand from the court which elapsed after 14 days.

“As compensation for the violation of their fundamental rights, N1 million should be paid to each of the applicants for the hardship and embarrassment suffered by them,” he said.

“The applicants were continuously detained at Keffi Prison without remand order, renewal 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.”

The presiding judge 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, 2015.

He further ordered that the respondents should refrain from arresting the applicants over the issues in the suit.

The applicants were arrested on December 17, 2015, and January 6, 2016 at Ase-Omuku, their home town.

They were arrested and brought to Abuja by Tony Alabi, a police officer, and detained at Keffi Prison on remand order from an Abuja magistrate court.

At the expiration of the order, no renewal was made until April 5, when the suit was filed in court.