Court orders Police to pay N20m for assaulting lawyer

An Owerri High Court has awarded N20 million as damage against the police for assaulting an Owerri lawyer, Chukwuemeka Amaghiro, last year.

In his judgment, Justice K.A. Orjiako said the respondents were found guilty of gross violation of the applicant’s right.


Amaghiro in 2016 filed a suit of violation of his right against the Police Service Commission, Nigeria Police, Commissioner of Police in Imo State and the OC D8 SARS Investigative Police Officer, Bassey Ikpa, for assaulting him.

Orjiako held that evidence before him proved the lawyer’s right was violated.

He said he awarded the damage considering the reputation of the person assaulted and the provision of the law on human right violation.

Orjiako advised the police to respect human right while discharging their duties.

Amaghiro and Emeka Iwuchukwu were allegedly assaulted by police officers when they visited their client, Keziah Nwoha, who was in police detention in 2016.

Iwuchukwu was awarded N10 million as damage on December 6, 2016 in an Owerri High Court presided over by Justice E.F. Njemanze.

Counsel to the applicant, Mr. Soronnadi Njoku, told NAN his clients approached the court due to how they were manhandled by police officers on the instigation of the OC SARS D10, Mr. Emenike.

He said the two lawyers visited the police to find out why their client was arrested and detained, as her case was still pending in court.

“When the lawyers got to the police, the Investigating Police Officer, Mr. Bassey Ikpa, became hostile.
“The lawyers became helpless and approached his superior, who directed the officers to deal with them,” he said.

He said he would enforce the two judgments simultaneously to ensure the damage awarded to the applicants was paid.

The respondents and their lawyers were absent during the judgment.

NAN