Ex-Commissioner files lawsuit against Nigerian Police, seeks N5m damages over illegal arrest, detention
Ex-Commissioner files lawsuit against Nigerian Police, seeks N5m damages over illegal arrest, detention
Dr Fabian Ihekweme, a former Commissioner for Foreign and International Affairs in Imo, has filed a N5 million suit against the Nigerian Police Force at the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged unlawful arrest and detention.
Ihekweme, who was a commissioner in the first term of Gov. Hope Uzodinma, filed the suit marked: FHC/ABI/CS/1809/2024 through his lawyer, Kingdom Okere on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fundamental rights enforcement suit, dated and filed on Dec. 2, listed the Nigerian Police Force and Commissioner of Police (CP), Imo State Command, as 1st and 2nd respondents.
The applicant seeks an order of perpetual injunction restraining the police from further arresting, threat of adoption, detention, intimidation, assault and harassing him over frivolous and unsubstantiated allegation concerning his fundamental rights to freedom of expression.
He also wants an order of the court compelling and directing the defendants to immediately release or grant him bail, pending investigation or charge him to court, as stipulated in Sections 35(4) and (5) and 36 (1) of the 1999 Constitution.
He seeks “a declaration that his arrest on November 28, 2024 in Abuja in most strange, intimidating, threatening, embarrassing, bizarre and gestapo manner by the Police in Imo State Command, who assaulted him, constitutes an infringement of his fundamental human rights and that, his continuous detention by the police amounts to the violation of his fundamental human rights.”
Ihekweme further urged the court to declare that, denying him access to his team of lawyers by the police since Nov. 28, when he was arrested in Abuja and taken to Owerri, violated his fundamental human rights.
He, therefore, sought an order awarding the sum of N5 million as damages against the CP for his alleged harassment, assault and illegal detention.
In an affidavit of urgency deposed to by the wife of the applicant, Mrs Excel Ihekweme, she said her husband is managing a severe health condition and his continuous detention without access to medicare would worsen his health condition and endanger his life.
She averred “that the applicant is now suffering double jeopardy of unlawful detention and imminent health risk that could endanger his life.”
She said that the constitution provides for rights to fair trial within a reasonable time.
Mrs Ihekweme said her husband ought to have been released on administrative bail or charged to court, at least two days after his arrest as provided by the constitution.
She said the conduct of the respondents was arbitrary, illegal, unconstitutional, harsh, oppressive and void.
The suit is yet to be assigned to a judge as at the time of the report.(NAN)(www)
News
Two men docked for allegedly defiling underaged girl
Two men docked for allegedly defiling underaged girl
The police in Lagos on Friday, charged two men before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly defiling an 11- year-old girl.
The defendants are: Prince Tomnyie, 40, a businessman, who resides at Agege, and Micheal Adenuga, 24, a furniture maker, who resides at Atere Street in Lekki.
They are standing trial on charges of defilement, and had each pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor, ASP Adegoke Ademigbuji told the court that they committed the offence sometimes in December 2024, and September 2025, at Langbasa Ajah and Igbara Lekki, Lagos .
The prosecutor alleged that the victim’s father, had taken his daughter for medical check and it was discovered that the minor had been defiled.
The prosecution alleged that the victim had told her father that his friend, Tomnyie, defiled her sometimes ago.
Ademigbuji alleged that the victim also mentioned the second defendant’s name who lives in their neigbourhood.
The offence contravenes the provisons of section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2015.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr L. A Owolabi, granted the defendants bail in the sum of of N600,000 each, with two sureties each in like sum.
He adjourned the case until March 5, for mention. (NAN)
News
Report any officer asking for money for release of suspect as Police insist bail is free
Report any officer asking for money for release of suspect as Police insist bail is free
The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has insisted that bail is free, and called on the public to report any officer asking for money to release a suspect on bail.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the FCT, SP Josephine Adeh, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
Adeh spoke in reaction to public outcry that some police officers were demanding money to release suspects on bail in the territory.
She said the report of the erring officers would serve as a deterrent to others, adding that it was fraudulent to demand for money to release a suspect on bail.
Adeh blamed the yielding to such fraudulent demand on ignorance on the part of the victims who refused to stand on their rights.
“A similar case was reported where an officer demanded money to release a suspect on bail and when the matter was reported, we requested for evidence from the victim.
“The evidence was provided because the money was transferred to the officer’s account and actions are being taken on the issue.
“So, I encourage the public to take advantage of the FCT Police Complaint Response Unit (CRU) lines on 08107314192 to report such misconduct with evidence,” she said.
Adeh urged the public to always insist on their rights and refuse any form of payment to release a suspect on bail.(NAN)
News
Former President sentenced to five years in prison by Court
Former President sentenced to five years in prison by Court
South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol was on Friday sentenced to five years in prison for obstruction of justice.
The Seoul Central District Court found that the 65-year-old conservative, with the help of the presidential security service, had tried to prevent his own arrest and deleted multiple documents related to the investigation against him.
Yoon shocked the nation by imposing martial law on December 3, 2024, amid a budget dispute with the opposition, plunging the country into a political crisis.
He justified the drastic measure as necessary to protect South Korea’s democratic order and accused the left-leaning opposition of being infiltrated by communists with ties to China and North Korea, though he provided no evidence for these claims.
In a separate trial, prosecutors have sought the death penalty for Yoon on charges of incitement, with a verdict expected on February 19.
While the death penalty remains legally in force in South Korea, it has not been carried out for nearly 30 years.
Yoon’s actions previously alarmed international investors and led to withheld investments, damaging the reputation of South Korea as a political and economic model for the region.
Since last summer, South Korea has been led by President Lee Jae Myung, a left-leaning centrist and long-time political rival of Yoon. (dpa/NAN)
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