Victim files N450m suit against police for killing two friends

A survivor of police brutality, Abduwahab Bello, on Tuesrday, filed three separate suits of N150m each against the police for torturing two of his friends to death in Bauchi State.

AbdulWahab had accused the police of breaking his legs and tortured his friends to death for allegedly stealing chicken.

AbdulWahab said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Township Division on July 21, 2020 beat up the deceased namely: Ibrahim Babangida and Ibrahim Kampalala over the case.

Respondents in the case at the Federal High Court, Bauchi are, DPO Baba Ali, Superintendent of Police, Sergeant Jibril Mohammed, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu, Commissioner of Police (CP), Bauchi State, Lawan Jimeta and the Police Service Commission (PSC).

In the suits, the litigant prayed the court to order the respondents to pay N100m each as compensation against them jointly and severally to be paid to the relations of the deceased and AbdulWahab, and N50m each as general damages.

Counsel to the applicant, Muktar Usman, said beating up the suspects in custody amounted to infringement on their fundamental rights to human dignity as enshrine in section 34 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), saying the DPO’s action was illegal and unlawful.

Usman also declared that the death of the duo was as a result of the beating in the full glare of Sargent Jibril Mohammed on July 17, 2020 under the supervision of the third and fourth respondents, constituted extra-judicial killing and violation of their fundamental rights to life as guaranteed in section 33 (1) of the 1999 Constitution and Article 3 and 5 of the Africa Charter on human rights.

The applicant also demanded public apology from the respondent for the breaches to be published in three national dailies in the country.

When the matter came up for hearing yesterday, the respondents did not file any response date, which has expired.

Justice Hassan Dikko, who ordered service of hearing on the respondents, adjourned the matter to November 13 for further hearing.  (The Guardian)