Nigeria Content Online

The Federal High
Court in Abuja has ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Hafiz
Ringim to pay a businessman, Muhammed Abubakar, N100,000 as damages for
unlawful detention and violation of his fundamental rights.

The court gave the
order on Monday in Abuja while ruling in a motion filed by the
applicant. Mr. Abubakar had filed a motion claiming that he was
detained by the police over allegations that he defrauded a Lebanese
woman of N9.5m in a contractual agreement on November 2, 2010.

The applicant’s
counsel, Okechuwku Okereke, filed the motion claiming that the
detention of Mr. Abubakar since November 3, 2010 till date was a gross
violation of the fundamental human rights of the applicant as provided
for in the 1999 Constitution.

The applicant
alleged that during his detention, the police tortured him into signing
a document stating that he had defrauded the Lebanese woman of the said
amount. He also alleged that the police forced him to sign an
undertaking that he was going to pay the money.

In his ruling,
Justice Abubakar Umar said the applicant’s arrest and detention to date
was unlawful and unconstitutional and ordered Mr. Ringim to release
without delay the applicant’s N1.5m, the amount in his possession when
he was arrested in 2010.

Mr. Umar said the police was wrong to have arrested and detained the applicant without arraigning him after 24 hours.