The Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has awarded N105 million in damages and legal costs against the Nigeria Police Force and Ugobeatz Empire for the unlawful arrest, torture, and prolonged detention of one Mr. Jude Henry Osagbai over a civil dispute.
In a landmark judgment delivered by Honourable Justice Hillary O. Oshomah in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1568/2024: Jude Henry Osagbai v. Nigeria Police Force & Others, the court condemned the police’s involvement in a matter that arose solely from a private commercial transaction, describing their actions as a gross violation of the Applicant’s fundamental rights.
The judgment, which concluded an 11-month-long legal battle, found that police officers — acting at the instigation of the 3rd Respondent, Ugobeatz Empire — forcefully abducted, arrested, tortured, and detained Mr. Osagbai beyond the constitutionally permissible timeframe, in a matter that bore no criminal elements.
The court awarded N100 million in general damages and N5 million in litigation costs against the Respondents, to be paid jointly and severally to the Applicant. It also issued a perpetual injunction restraining the Nigeria Police Force and its officers from further arresting or harassing Mr. Osagbai, and ordered them to publish a public apology in two national newspapers.
In strong terms, the court decried the inhuman and degrading treatment meted out to the Applicant, holding that such abuse of power by the police violates both the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights standards.
Reacting to the verdict, counsel to the Applicant, Mr. Ayi-Ekpenyong Imah, Esq., hailed the ruling as “a well-considered judgment consistent with well-established principles of law.” He praised the court for reaffirming its role as the “last hope of the oppressed and common man.”
Mr. Imah further criticized the increasing incidents of police interference in civil disputes, urging law enforcement officers to thoroughly evaluate petitions before making arrests, and to refrain from being used as tools of intimidation in civil matters “no matter how tainted or coloured with criminal allegations.”
The ruling adds to a growing body of judicial pronouncements aimed at curbing police brutality, unlawful detentions, and abuse of power, and underscores the imperative of respecting citizens’ fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution.
