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From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Nchia, Eleme Local Government Area, has awarded the sum of N100 million against the Nigeria Police Force with regards to fundamental human rights abuse and murder.
The trial judge, Justice C.D. Green, gave the order, when she delivered judgement, yesterday, in a suit filed by Godgift Nte Nwokolu, against NPF and two others, over the killing of her father, Nte Nwokolu Nte, on September 24, 2021, by one Inspector Emeka attached to Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the State Police command.
Counsel for the applicant, Obaraianenu Nwokolu, who spoke after the judgement, explained that the court declared and stated that the action of the respondent (Nigeria Police Force) in the shooting of the applicant’s father acted against the fundamental rights of right to life of the applicant’s father under Section 33, 34 and 35 of 1999 Constitution and also Article 4, 5 and 7 of African Charter and Human People’s Right Ratification and Enforcement Act 1990.
Nwokolu said the court went further to declare that any institution holding the corpse of late Nte Nwokolu should release it to the family.
According to Nwokolu, the court granted the last prayer of the applicant by ordering the cost of N100 million to be paid to the family of the applicant, as the act of shooting and killing the applicant’s father contravened his constitutional right to life.
The lawyer posited that the judgement by the court was an opportunity to all citizens to know that they can seek redress in court, if the Police or any other individual or entity abuse their right.
The lawyer further explained that on September 24, 2021, men of Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Mini-Okoro Police Station, came to Njuru community of Agbonchia clan in Eleme LGA to effect arrest of some persons, when they shot and killed the applicant’s father, who was sitting down and watching like every other persons.
He said the Police unit on seeing that the man was dead, shot sporadically in the air, while carting away his corpse.
The lawyer disclosed that the family wrote a petition to the Commissioner of Police, who minuted it to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit to investigate the veracity of the claims made by the deceased’s family and report back .
He said rather than investigating the incident, the unit kept on threatening the family, which warranted the applicant to file action in court.
Nwokolu noted that despite serving four different hearing notices on the Nigeria Police Force, they refused appearing in court till yesterday, when the judgement was given by the court.
