Etim Ekpimah
Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State has awarded N20 million against the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 6, Calabar, and two others.
The police were said to have arrested the Village Head of Ikot Oku Ikono, Eteidung Okon Nnanah Akpan in the Uyo Local Government Area over an electric transformer.
The court presided over by Justice Ntong Ntong ordered the police to pay the royal father N20 million for arresting him on 28th February 2022 and 28th April 2022 at the Anti-Cultism Unit of the State Police Headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, and continually harassing him to date.
He said of the amount, the respondents among them, one Jimmy Godwin, who instigated the police against the village head would pay 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 earlier today, said the action of the police has consistently made the village head 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.