In a basic human rights lawsuit brought by the family of the late auto mechanic Chima Ikwunado, a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has awarded N75,000,000 against the Nigeria Police.
The family of Ikwunado had filed a basic human rights case against the Inspector General of Police, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, the former E-Crack Commander in Rivers State, SP Benson Adetuyi, and four fired police personnel.
In her ruling on Friday, the trial judge, Justice S. I. Mark, approved all of the plaintiff’s counsel’s requests for relief and penalised the police $75,000,000 for their wrongdoing.
Ikwunado, an auto technician, reportedly passed while in police detention in 2019 after being severely tortured.
When test-driving two automobiles they were repairing along Olu-Obasanjo Road in Port Harcourt, he was detained and tortured with four of his apprentices, Victor Ogbonna, Osaze Friday, Ifeanyi Osuji, and Ifeanyi Onyekwere.
Robbery and cult-related charges were brought against them. The situation has drawn criticism from a number of sources.
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Although they are conscious that no amount of money will bring the victim back to life, the family of the deceased Ikwunado’s legal representative, Princess Lawrence, told reporters outside the courthouse that they were pleased with the verdict.
“We are pleased, even if we anticipated a greater damages award. Like I argued in court, no amount of money damages would bring the late Chima Ikwunado back to life. But we give God praise for the judgement the court handed down today,” she said.
The suit sought N14,000,000,000 in damages.
Anthony Ikwunado, the senior brother of Kate the auto mechanic, praised the ruling as a positive development.
He claimed that the loss of his younger brother left the family with an irreplaceable void.
Ayogu Fidelis, Eke Chinuzor, Rose Georgewill, and Egbunedu Felix, four ex-police officers, are now on trial at the state high court in Port Harcourt for the death of late Ikwunado and the torture of four other individuals who were in their custody.
