A High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State, has ordered the Nigeria Police to pay N1 million in damages to a Cameroonian youth leader, Manghe Romeo Etta, over what it described as his unlawful arrest and detention.

Delivering judgment in suit No: HC/146F/2025, the presiding judge, Justice Theresa Agom, held that Etta, a youth senator representing Manyu Division in Cameroon, was wrongfully arrested by the police over allegations of a stolen vehicle.

The court further directed the immediate release of the applicant’s vehicle, a BMW X1 with registration number MRA 905 AL and chassis number WBAVL1C57CVR78137, which had been seized in the course of the disputed arrest.

Justice Agom ruled that the respondents failed to justify the arrest and continued detention of Etta, describing their actions as unlawful and without evidential backing.

Counsel to the applicant, Armstrong Achu, who spoke to journalists shortly after the ruling, said his client successfully established ownership of the vehicle through verifiable documents, while the police were unable to substantiate their claims.

According to him, “The applicant clearly proved ownership of the vehicle with credible documents linking him to it, while the respondents failed to present any evidence in support of their defence.”

Although Etta had sought N200 million in damages, the court awarded N1 million, citing the circumstances of the case.

Achu warned that failure by the police to comply with the court’s orders could attract legal consequences, including criminal contempt proceedings.

Counsel to the respondents, Nyakno Usoroh, said he would communicate the outcome of the judgment to his clients.