Paul Orude Bauchi
A survivor of police torture in Bauchi State, Abduwahab Bello has slammed three separate suits of N150 million each against the police for torture and death of two of his friends
Bello and two of his friends, Ibrahim Babangida and Ibrahim Kampalala were allegedly beaten by the Divisional Police Officer of the Township Division on July 17, 2020 over alleged theft of chickens belonging to a retired police officer.
The torture led to the death of Kampalala and Babangida while Bello survived with life threatening injuries.
Joined in the three seperate suits, instituted at the Federal High Court, Bauchi, on October 22, 2020, are the DPO superintendent of Police Baba Ali, Sergeant Jibril Mohammed, Inspector General of Police IGP Mohammed Adamu, Commissioner of Police Bauchi State Lawan Jimeta and the Police Service Commission
Bello filed three separate suits – one for himself and two for his deceased friends – respectively demanding for N150 million each as compensation.
While N100 million each is for compensation against the respondents jointly and severally to be paid to the relations of Ibrahim Babangida (deceased), Ibrahim Kampalala (deceased) and himself (the survivor) who filed the suit, N50 million each is compensation as general damages.
Counsel to the applicant Barrister Muktar Usman, that the act of beating up the suspects while in custody by the DPO amounts to an infringement of their fundamental rights to human dignity of persons as enshrine in section 34 of the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria as amended saying the action of the DPO was illegal and unlawful.
Usman also declared that the killing of Ibrahim Babangida and Ibrahim Kampalala were as a result of the beating by the DPO in the full glare of Sargent Jibril Mohammed on July 17, 2020 “ acting under the supervision of the third and fourth respondents for no justifiable reason(s) constitutes extra-judicial killing) and is a violent violation of their fundamental rights to life as guaranteed by the provisions of section 33 (1) of the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria 1999 and Article 3 and 5 of the Africa Charter on the human people’s right”
The applicant according to the counsel is also demanding for a public apology by the respondent for breaches to be published in conspicuous pages in at least three national dailies widely circulated in Nigeria.
When the matter came up for mention on Tuesday November 3, the respondents did not file any response date which expired on Tuesday November 3
The case was adjourned to November 13 for definite hearing on fundamental human rights violation by Presiding Judge, Justice Hassan Dikko who gave an order for service of hearing on all the respondents.