Court Fines AIG, 2 Others N20m For Unlawful Arrest Of Akwa Ibom Monarch

The Akwa Ibom State Division of the High Court sitting in Uyo, the state capital on Thursday handed out a penalty of N20 million as damages against the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for incessant and unlawful arrests and detention of innocent civilians.

The latest victim is the Village Head of Ikot Oku Ikono in Uyo Local Government Area, Eteidung Okon Nnanah Akpan, who was arrested over issues bothering on electric transformers in the village.

Consequently, the court presided over by Justice Ntong Ntong has ordered the police to pay the royal father N20 million “for arresting him on 28th February, 2022 and 28th April, 2022, at the Anti Cultism Unit (ACU) of the state Police Headquarters, Ikot Akpanabia, and continually harassing him till date.”

Of the amount, the court held that the respondents among them, “one Jimmy Godwin, who instigated the Police against the village head, is to cough out N10 million, the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 6, Calabar, Cross River state, who authorised the unlawful action, N6 million, while the Investigative Police Officer (IPO), one Inspector Wofai Johnson, of Anti Vice Unit (AVU), Zone 6, Calabar, who obeyed the unlawful order of the AIG, is to pay the village head of Ikot Oku Ikono N4 million.”

According to the trial Judge, “the action of the Police has consistently made the village head to suffer aggravated and psychological harassment, just because he performed his constitutional functions for his community,” adding that “the Police chose to remain aloof after they were served the originating processes in the matter.”

The court held that “the Nigeria Police should now be more discreet and civil in their investigations especially where the matter is civil and contractual.”

“The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 6 and two other respondents are liable for breaching the fundamental rights of the applicant,” the Court added.