The Federal High Court siting in Ilorin today 4th May, 2020 has awarded a sum of N5 Million against the Nigerian Police and in favour of the Applicant in suit No.: FHC/IL/CS/42/2018 Between Lukman Olanrewaju Bello, Esq vs. Inspector General of Police & 7 Ors. In the judgement delivered by Hon. Justice B. G. Ashigar, the Court eruditely held that the degrading treatment meted out to the Applicant by physically assauting him, stripping him half naked, arresting and subsequently detaining him constitute infraction and breach of his fundamental rights to dignity of human person and persnonal liberty as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.
It will be recalled that on the 16th October, 2018, a lawyer, L.O. Bello, Esq., was unlawfully and unfairly brutalized, arrested and detained by officers of Nigerian Police at Nigerian Police Training School, Ilorin when he went to Traffic section of the Police to attend to his client’s call. Sequel to the terrible event which was considered as a collective insult, assault and inhumane treatment against lawyers, a legal team including three Senior Advocates of Nigeria was set up by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ilorin branch to file a fundamental rights enforcement application on behalf of the lawyer against the Nigerian Police.
Therefore, today’s sitting marked the end of the dilatory enforcement of fundamental human rights proceedings instituted on behalf of L. O. Bello esq. as the Court has awarded, jointly and severally, the sum of five million naira as damages against the Inspector General of Police, Commissioner of Police, Kwara State and other seven Respondents.
While appreciating the judgment and the Court, Dr. D. A. Ariyoosu who led other lawyers in today’s proceeding described the judgment as one of the most erudite and all encompassing judgments on Fundamental Human Right proceeding. He thanked the judge for the well considered judgment.
