By; PATRICK TITUS, Uyo
The might of the law has again fell on the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 6, Calabar and two others, over unlawful actions against the Village Head of Ikot Oku Ikono in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The royal father, Eteidung Okon Nnanah Akpan, the court averred, was arrested and kept in detention by the police over an electric transformer in the village.
Ruling on the matter, Justice Ntong Ntong of a High Court, Uyo, on Thursday, ordered the Police to pay the royal father N20m for arresting him on February 28, 2022 and April 28, 2022 at the Anti Cultism Unit of the State Police Headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia and continually harassing him till date.
Justice Ntong said of the amount, the respondents among them, one Jimmy Godwin, who instigated the Police against the Village Head is to cough out N10m, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 6, Calabar, who authorised the unlawful action, N6m, while the Investigative Police Officer, one Inspector Wofai Johnson of Anti Vice Unit, Zone 6, Calabar, who obeyed the unlawful order of the AIG, is to pay the Village Head of Ikot Oku Ikono N4m.
The trial judge in his judgment, said the action of the Police has consistently made the village head to suffer aggravated and psychological harassment, just because he performed his constitutional functions for his community.
Justice Ntong said the Police chose to remain aloof after they were served the originating processes in the matter.
The Court said the Nigeria Police should now be more discreet and civil in their investigations especially where the matter is civil and contractual.
Justice Ntong found the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 6 and two other respondents liable for breaching the fundamental rights of the applicant.
Recall recently, a High Court sitting in Uyo ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and five others to pay a housewife in Uyo, and mother of two children, Mrs. Peace Ekom Robert, the sum of N200m as damages for the unlawful arrest and detention.
The court also ordered the Inspector General of Police and five other “respondents to return the N15m collected from the applicant to the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Abuja pending the hearing and final determination of the criminal charge against the applicant before the Federal High Court.”
