A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, ordered the Nigerian Police Force to pay a fine of N15m over unlawful detention of seven suspected members of Boko Haram for three years without trial.
It was learnt that the suspects were arrested inside Maiduguri market and were were allegedly dumped at the detention facility of the Special Anti-Robbery in Abuja.
The suspects are Ajiri Dungus, Gudja Giddah, Adam Mohammed, Wardi Dungus, Fanami Mustapha, Mohammed Abba and Makinka Dungus.
Justice M. O. Olajuwon, in a judgment on their fundamental human rights enforcement suit, held that the detention of the detainees for three years without trial contravened the provisions of the 1999 constitution on human rights.
He declared the detention “illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional” and consequently ordered that the applicants be released immediately to their families.
Olajuwon said the police acted in bad faith in keeping the detainees beyond the period required by law, especially when there was no cogent and verifiable ground of indictment of the applicants for any offence.
The Judge ordered that each applicant be paid N2m as damages for their unlawful detention and another N10m as cost of litigation.
