Federal High Court sitting in Gombe has fined the Nigeria Police N5 million over an unlawful arrest and detention of officers of the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN).
The unlawful arrest and detention carried out at Gombe airport in November last year was declared illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and breach of the fundamental rights of the plaintiffs by the court.
The Peace Corps and nine of its officials led by the Gombe State Commandant Bararebe Alhassan had sued the Police for the enforcement of their fundamental rights and N250m compensation for their unlawful arrest and detention by Police without any justification.
Giving judgment in the case of breach of fundamental human rights instituted against the Inspector General of Police, Justice Babatunde Kadiri said the action of Police was barbaric and uncivilized.
The judge held that Police acted in bad faith in arresting officers of a registered body without committing any offence known to law.
Justice Kadiri agreed with Mr. Musa Ali Galaya, counsel to Peace Corps, that the purported proscription of PCN by Police without any court order could not stand the force of th law, having been legally registered under Nigeria law.
The court ordered that a Hilux Pick Van illegallt seized from the PCN be immediately released.
The Judge also granted order of perpetual injunction against Police restraining them from interfering or further interfering with the activities of the organisation.
The court said that on no ground should Police molest, harass, intimidate or cripple the lawful activities of the Peace Corps in the state, having failed to establish any wrong doings against the organisation or its men.
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Court fines police N5m for arresting Peace Corps men illegally
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