Unlawful arrest: Court awards N100m compensation to Oyo businessman

The claimant’s counsel had urged the court to declare the arrest, continuous detention and harassment of Akintude by the first and second respondents as illegal and a violation of his fundamental human rights as guaranteed by the Constitution and order his release.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the suit was, however, not defended by the respondents.

Taiwo, in the judgment, said: “Having resolved all the four issues in favour of the applicant, I hereby declare and make the following orders:

“That the arrest, detention, continuous harassment, intimidation and incessant invitation of the applicant by the first and second respondent on November 18, 2021 and other subsequent days as illegal, unconstitutional, unwarranted and a reckless infringement of the human rights.

“And amounts to a breach of the applicant’s right to personal liberty as enshrined in Section 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

“That the act of assaulting, beating, torturing, subjection to inhuman and degrading treatment and act of brutality inflicted on the applicant on November 18, 2021 by the first and second respondents is a violation of the applicant’s right to dignity of human person.”

The Judge restrained the respondents, either by themselves or agents, officers from further arresting, detaining, harassing, intimidating and inviting the applicant in respect of the event leading to his current incarceration.

He also ordered the immediate release of the claimant from the detention of the first and second respondents at Mambilla Barracks, Asokoro, Garki, Abuja or other places.

Eagle