Brutality: Ekiti  Court  Awards N20.25m  Damages against Police

By Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ikere Ekiti, has awarded a sum of N20 million damages against the police  over illegal detention and brutalisation of a 51-year  old woman, Mrs  Sola Aregbesola .

The court, in a judgement delivered by Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi , also awarded another N250,000 cost against the police, which covers the expenses spent on medical treatment as a result of the unlawful detention and beating she suffered in the hands of the cops.

Aregbesola, a resident of Okebedo in Ilawe Ekiti,  was beaten, tortured , wounded ,  chained  and detained for seven  two hours at Ilawe Police Station last year October  over an issue that bordered on an illicit love affair between her husband  and another woman.

The plaintiff was subsequently picked up by the police, following complaints lodged by her suspected husband’s mistress.

Before the arrest, the suspected mistress had attacked her by allegedly pouring hot soup on her face, which inflicted serious bodily injuries on her, causing deformation to her person.

Following this, Mrs Aregbesola had approached the court   to ask for the enforcement of her fundamental  rights, describing her detention as an abridgement of her rights .

During the trial, Aregbesola’s case was taken up by the Department of the Ekiti State Citizens’ rights in the Ministry of Justice.

The State lawyers, told the court that the police acted ultra vires by clamping her in detention  for 72 hours beyond the stipulated 24 hours recommended by the law over  issue  that   were  bailable in the face of the law.

In his judgement, Justice  Ogunyemi, said : “considering the preponderance of evidence before this  court, I declare the actions of the police against  the Plaintiff as illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional.

“I therefore found his prayers worthy of being considered and I awarded a N20 million damages together with another N250,000  covering the litigation expenses against the police”.

The court also told the police to be cautious in dealing with issues that had to  do the rights of the citizens, saying “they  must exercise restraint in their actions as enforcers of the law”.

In a related development, a Magistrate court has granted bail to  Oluwaseyi Philip, Dosunmu Ayodele, , Olayiwola Faloru, Oyewumi Tope, Samuel Ayomiposi and Oluwafemi Olalekan , who were charged for conspiracy and stealingby the police.

The accused persons were accused of conspiring to siphon 360 litres of petrol belonging to Ekiti State Water Corporation.