Court Orders Nigeria Police To Pay N100million Over Detainee Who Died In Detention

The Nigerian police has been ordered to pay the sum of N100million to the family of Patricia Onyeabo, a lawyer, who was the legal adviser/secretary to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).

The late Onyeabo, died in police custody due to lack of medical care, which prompted her daughter, Miss Amaka Onyeabo, who is also a lawyer to file a suit against the Inspector General of Police (IGP), over her mother’s death.

L-R: The late Patricia Onyeabo and her daughter, Amaka

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The order was given by a federal High Court sitting in Lagos. In his judgement, the presiding judge, Justice  Mohammed Idris said: “I hold that the Nigerian Police have failed in their responsibility. The applicant has liberty to life while in the custody of the Nigerian Police but was denied, thereby leading to her life being terminated. If she had access to hospital she would not have died, but the police deprived her the right to visit hospital to treat her ailment. Therefore, the applicant is entitled to general damages in the sum of N100 million.”

The co-respondents in the suit are the Lagos state Commissioner of Police and his assistant and the Nigerian Railway Corporation headquarters, PM News reports.

Amaka, who was represented by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Anthony Idigbe had asked for a declaration that “the unsubstantiated indictment in a letter, leading to the harassment, detention, intimidation, humiliation and restriction of movement of her late mother since April 25, 2014, until her death on May 16, 2014, by the respondents are frivolous, vindictive,  wicked, smacked of gross impunity, unlawful, unconstitutional and breach of the fundamental rights of the deceased.”

She also asked for an order of the court directing the police and the NRC to tender unreserved apology to her and her entire family in two daily newspapers circulating within Nigeria.

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The respondents had also filed a counter affidavit filed and argued before the court contended that Amaka has no locus standi to institute the action on behalf of her mother, but they were rebuffed by the court.

Just three days back, police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ogun state Command, Deputy Suprintendent of Police, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, while delivering lecture to about 953 trainees on Corporal to Sergeant promotion course advised the new intakes to respect people’s fundamental human rights, ensure professionalism and have respect for the general public.

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