A High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Nigeria Police Force to pay the sum of N50 million to Zainab Abiola, the wife of the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the late Chief MKO Abiola over rights violation.
The judgement which was delivered by Justice Modupe Osho-Adebiyi, also directed the police authority to tender an apology to Prof. Abiola, in two national dailies.
Abiola’s widow in a suit marked FCT/HC/CV/2431/2023, claimed that police officers had in September 2022, invaded her residence in Abuja and arrested her while she was wearing a nightgown and whisked her to the station.
Prof. Zainab told the court that she was detained and tortured for three days without trial, adddd that she slept at the police station from September 20 to September 23, 2022.
She prayed the court to compel the police to pay her damages to the tune of N500million.
While delivering judgement, Justice Osho-Adebiyi said the court was convinced that Prof. Abiola’s rights were trampled upon by the police.
“It is hereby declared that the detention of the Applicant from the 20th day of September, 2022 to 23rd September, 2022, without arraigning her before a court of competent jurisdiction is a violation of the Applicant’s right to personal liberty under section 35 of the constitution and is therefore unlawful and unconstitutional.
“It is further declared that the arrest of the Applicant by the Defendants in her nightgown without giving her the opportunity to dress decently is an Infringement of her right to personal dignity it is more debasing and a further Infringement of her right to personal dignity when Applicant was paraded in her nightgown. In the circumstances, the sum of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira) only is awarded to the Applicant as compensation against the 1st, 2nd and 4th Respondents, jointly.
“The Respondents are hereby ordered to tender a public apology to the Applicant in two of the National Daily Newspapers in pursuance of the provisions of section 35 (6) I of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the judge ruled.
