Court orders IGP, 2 others to pay N1m as damages for unlawful detention

Inspector General of Police

An FCT High Court, Maitama, on Thursday ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Commissioner of Police and Peace Ibekwe-Abdullah to pay Princess Ujunwa Udeani the sum of N1 million as general damages for unlawful detention.

Udeani, in June 2014, filed a suit before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, claiming that her fundamental rights were violated by the three respondents and Ms Toyin Kehinde, Manager FCMB, Wuse 2.

Baba-Yusuf while delivering judgment on the matter, held that the detention of the applicant from Feb. 12 to Feb. 16, 2014, was illegal and unconstitutional in law.

“Any person illegally held or detained shall be entitled to general damages.

“On this, the detention of the applicant from 12 to 16 Feb. was unlawful.

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

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 is 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.

On the contrary, he held that the three respondents provided evidence to support their claim to have released the applicant on the same day of arrest.

The judge further held that the applicant did not establish that the fourth respondent was responsible for her detention and torture.