A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt found in favor of Victor Ogbonna, one of the spare parts sellers tortured by members of the Nigeria Police Force’s defunct Eagle Crack team in 2019.
During the Friday ruling, the court awarded the victim N3 billion in damages against the Nigerian Police.
Ogbonna had filed a fundamental human rights action against the Inspector General of Police and eight others for alleged torture by operatives of the Rivers State Police Command’s defunct Eagle Crack Unit, which allegedly resulted in the death of one of them, Chima Ikwunado.
In his decision, the trial judge, Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam, stated that the plaintiff established a case of torture and inhuman treatment by the police and thus awarded N3 billion in damages to Ogbonna.
According to our correspondent, the Nigerian Police had yet to pay the N5 million in damages awarded to Ifeanyi Osuji by Justice James Omotoso, N5 million to Ifeanyi Onyekwere by Justice Phoebe Ayua, and N75 million to the family of the late Chima Ikwunado by Justice Mark of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.
Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, Emmanuel Okpala, lawyer for the plaintiff and Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt Branch, expressed satisfaction with the decision.
Okpala stated that it would serve as a deterrence to police officers and other law enforcement personnel who are prone to passing immediate judgment on individuals through their acts.
Okpala stated,
“I have been able to get judgment in respect of Mr Ifeanyi Osuji against the Inspector General of Police.
“We also got judgement in the case involving Ifeanyi Omyekwere against the Inspector General of Police today.
“We got judgment in the case of Victor Ogbonna against the Inspector General of Police. These are the three boys out of the five that were arrested and tortured by the then Eagle-Crack Squad Police Unit at the Mile 1 Police Station in Port Harcourt.
“One of them died in police detention as a result of complications arising from the torture. The four other boys survived the torture, though they could have died.
“They sustained various degrees of internal and external injuries. So we filed fundamental human rights proceedings at the Federal High Court.
“And like I said, this is the fourth judgment we have gotten in respect of the fundamental human rights proceedings we initiated.
“Today the Federal High Court 4 president over by Honourable Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam delivered judgement and awarded N3bn against the Nigerian Police for turturing innocent citizen. ”
According to the PUNCH, police officers affiliated with the Eagle Crack tortured the five mechanics, resulting in Chima Ikwunado’s death.
Ikwunado, an Ikokwu mechanic, died in the Mile One Police Station cell after being tortured by officers who arrested him and four of his pals on suspicion of being cultists.
According to the PUNCH, his pals were also released after a court ruled that they were jailed on mere suspicion.