Court orders IGP, others to pay N1m over breach of human rights

IGP, others ordered to pay N1m for violation of fundamental human rights.

A High Court in Abuja has on ordered that the Inspector-General of Police, the FCT Commissioner of Police and one Peace Ibekwe-Abdullah pay Princess Ujunwa Udeani the sum of N1million as general damages for unlawful detention.

The directive was given by the presiding judge Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, on Thursday in Maitama, Abuja.

The plaintiff, Udeani, had in June 2014, filed a suit before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, alleging  that her fundamental rights had been violated by the respondents as well as Ms Toyin Kehinde, Manager FCMB, Wuse 2.

While making his pronouncement on the trial, Justice Baba-Yusuf held that the detention of the applicant from February 12 to February 16, 2014, was unconstitutional.

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“Any person illegally held or detained shall be entitled to general damages. The detention of the applicant from 12 to 16 February was unlawful.

“She is entitled to be awarded general damages in the sum of N1 million,” the court ruled.

The judge also made an order of perpetual injunction on the first to the third respondents and their agents restraining them from interfering with the affairs of the applicant.

He further ordered the release of the applicant’s vehicle seized by the respondents.

However, he held that the evidence before the court did not support the claims of aggravated damages.

According to him, there was no evidence before the court to support the applicant’s claim that her arrest, detention and torture led to the loss of her four months pregnancy.