Court Fines NPF ₦20M For Unlawful Detention Of Akwa Ibom Monarch

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has been fined N20 million as damages by the Akwa Ibom State Division of the High Court, which is situated in the state capital of Uyo. This punishment was imposed for the NPF's continuous and illegal detention and arrest of innocent civilians.

Eteidung Okon Nnanah Akpan, the village head of Ikot Oku Ikono in the Uyo Local Government Area, is the most recent victim. He was detained due to problems with the village's electric transformers.

The police are now required to pay the royal father N20 million "for his arrest on February 28, 2022, and April 28, 2022, at the Anti Cultism Unit (ACU) of the state Police Headquarters, Ikot Akpanabia, and continuously harassing him to this day," according to the court, which is presided over by Justice Ntong Ntong.

According to the court, of the total, "one Jimmy Godwin, who incited the Police against the village head, is to cough out N10 million; the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 6, Calabar, Cross River state, who authorised the unlawful action, N6 million; and the Investigative Police Officer (IPO), one Inspector Wofai Johnson, of Anti Vice Unit (AVU), Zone 6, Calabar, who obeyed the unlawful order of the AIG, is to pay the village head of Ikot Oku Ikono N4 million."

The court held that “the Nigeria Police should now be more discreet and civil in their investigations especially where the matter is civil and contractual.”

According to the trial Judge, “the action of the Police has consistently made the village head to suffer aggravated and psychological harassment, just because he performed his constitutional functions for his community,” adding that “the Police chose to remain aloof after they were served the originating processes in the matter.”

“The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 6 and two other respondents are liable for breaching the fundamental rights of the applicant,” the Court added.