By Davies IheamnachorA Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has ordered the Nigeria Police to pay the sum of N50 million as compensation to the family of Daniel Chibuike-Ikeagwuchi, popularly called Sleek, who was killed by cops in the state.
The family of Sleek had pressed enforcement of Fundamental Human Rights against the Nigeria Police, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Adamu, the State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan, and two other policemen, for killing their son, Sleek.
It would be recalled that two operatives of Nigeria Police had killed Sleek around Eleme, Eleme Local Government Area of the state on the 19th of September, 2020, over an unknown reason resulting to protests by the family of the victim and Civil Society Organisations.
The family had on four grounds prayed the court to declare the killing of their son unlawful and award the sum of N1 billion as compensation to the family of the victim.
However, in two of the court’s sittings the defendants neither appeared nor filed a response, but only appeared in court on the last adjourned, 23rd of November to present a counter-affidavit against the four prayers of the claimant which was refused by the court following the argument by the claimant counsel.
In his ruling, the trial Judge, Justice, S.C. Amadi, granted the four prayers of the claimant which includes a declaration that the gruesome murder of Sleek contravened the constitution of Nigeria.
Amadi also held that the failure of Police to arraign the officers who killed their victim was illegal.
Meanwhile, Amadi instead of the N1 billion sought for as damages to the family, awarded the sum of N50 million against the defendants, adding that the money should be paid in due course.
Meantime, counsel for the family of late Sleek, Noble Njoku, described the Judgment as justice well served, stating that it would serve as a deterrent to men of Nigerian force who use humans as “point and kill”.
Vanguard News Nigeria
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