POLICE TO PAY FIVE MILLION NAIRA DAMAGES FOR TORTURE AND WRONGFUL DETENTION OF SUSPECT
An Anambra State High Court sitting in Onitsha has ordered the Nigeria Police to pay five million Naira to an Onitsha-based panel beater, Friday Onyeobi for wrongful arrest, detention and torture.
The Onitsha High Court 4 presided over by Justice S. N. Odili also restrained the Police from further arrest, harassment or intimidation of Onyeobi.
Onyeobi’s lawyer, Callistus Mmagu, had dragged the Police and Esiobi Okwudili to court, praying the court to pay damages to his client for the torture and wrongful detention.
Enyiobi’s ordeal started when a Rav 4 car his friend Okwudili Esiobi gave him to sell for him got missing at his workshop at Omagba Phase II, Onitsha.
According to reports, the car with some others were stolen at the place they were parked on June thirteen, twenty twenty three.
When Onyeobi told his friend that his car has been stolen, he was not convinced and reported the matter to Onitsha Area Command
However when it appeared to the car owner that the Police at the Area Command was not doing enough, he went ahead to report the matter again to Special Anti-Cult Squad of Police, Obosi, Idemili North Local Government Area of the State.
The Judge condemned the wrong detention of the panel beater, torture and degrading condition he was subjected to, saying that there was no justification for that.
He said the judgment would serve as deterrent to other Police men who would want to act beyond the law to abuse and torture citizens.
