- Akwa Ibom State High Court orders IGP and others to pay N200 million in damages to housewife for rights violation
- The ruling condemns the unlawful arrest and detention, stating police exceeded jurisdiction and lacked authority for extortion
In a significant legal development, the Akwa Ibom State High Court in Uyo has mandated the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Police Service Commission (PSC), and three others to pay N200 million in damages to a housewife, Peace Ekom Robert, for the violation of her fundamental rights.
The court’s ruling stems from the unlawful arrest and detention of Robert, prompted by her involvement in a financial transaction. In March 2023, she was implicated in a request made by one Ifenyinwa Anthonia Olua to facilitate a currency exchange involving euros and naira. Subsequently, £55,000, equivalent to N42.9 million, was transferred to a Spanish account, triggering suspicion by Spanish authorities about the legitimacy of the funds.
The police, without arraigning Robert, detained her in connection with the investigation. The presiding judge, Justice Ntong Ntong, asserted that the police’s actions disregarded the constitutional rights enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The judge condemned the police for acting outside their jurisdiction, emphasizing that the force is not a debt recovery agency and lacked the authority to extort N15 million from the applicant without completing the investigation or securing a court conviction.
As part of the court’s directives, the respondents, including the Inspector General of Police and other law enforcement officials, are ordered to return the N15 million collected from the applicant to the Federal High Court Chief Registrar in Abuja. This directive will remain in effect until the resolution of the criminal charges against the applicant in the Federal High Court.
In response to the judgment, Uwemedimo Nwoko, Counsel for the applicant and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria hailed the court as the defender of the common man’s rights. On the other side, Barr. Akebong Essien, Counsel for the respondent, argued that reporting the matter to the police was legitimate and that his client did not commit any wrongdoing.
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