Court awards N2m against police for detaining Evans’ brother-in-law, wife

A federal High Court, Lagos yesterday awarded N2 million damages against the police over the detention of Okwuchukwu Obiechina, brother-in-law of alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, also known as Evans, alongside his wife, Nzube.

The trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, gave the ruling in the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the applicants.Joined as respondents in the suit were the Lagos State Commissioner of Police (CP), the Nigeria Police and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. The court held that Obiechina’s arrest and detention was unconstitutional.

According to him, the remand order, which the police claimed to have obtained from a magistrate’s court for the purpose of detaining the applicants were invalid.

The judge ordered that the applicants be released immediately or in the alternative be charged to court if any case has been made against them. He further directed the police to tender a public apology to Obiechina and his wife and that same should be published in two national dailies.

Meanwhile, a Lagos High Court, Igbosere, yesterday adjourned the arraignment and hearing of pending application of the billionaire kidnap kingpin, Evans, to Friday, October 27.

Evans is facing allegations of murder, kidnap of one Sylvanius Ahanonu Hafiia and attempted kidnap of the chairman of Young Shall Grow Motors, Vincent Obianodo. ‎

At the hearing yesterday, counsel to Evans, Olukoya Ogungbeje, informed the court of two separate motions on notice dated October 19, 2017, seeking to quash the charge against Evans, on the ground of ‎jurisdiction.

Before the arrival of Evans and his other suspects around 9:00a.m. no less than 30 heavily armed policemen had beefed up security within and outside the court, just as litigants and spectators inside and outside the court tried to catch a glimpse of the billionaire kidnapper.