From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
A Federal High Court has ordered the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Security Service, DSS), to fish out the killers of late Samuel Okoro who was the personal assistant to Ifeanji Ejiofor, counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Besides, they are to pay the sum of N100 million in favour of Mrs. Felicia Samuel Okoro as general damages for the gruesome murder of her husband, late Samuel Okoro, who was brutally killed and burnt to ashes during the invasion of the lawyer’s home by security agencies.
Equally affected by the order of court is the Nigerian Army and one Chukukwa following the bloody invasion of the ancestral home of Ifeanyi Ejiofor in Umunakwa Ifite Oraifite, Ekwusigo LGA of Anambra State, on June 6, 2021, at the wee hours of the night, by a joint security team, comprising the operatives of the Nigeria Police, the State Security Service, and Soldiers; his Personal Assistant, Mr. Samuel Okoro inside his compound, and consequently set ablaze in a Toyota Camry car.
In a fundamental human right enforcement suit marked FHC/AWK/CS/57/2021, Okoro’s wife, Felicia prayed the court to hold that the extra judicial killing of her hisband by the defendants, the Nigeria Police Force, Inspector General of Police, State Security Service, Director General of State Security Service, Nigeria Civil Defence Corps, the Nigeria Army, the Chief of Army Staff and Chukuwuka Chizorom Ofoegbu (a.k.a Ijele Speaks), is illegal, oppressive unlawful, inhumane and a breach of his fundamental human rights.
After considering the issues canvassed and submitted before him, Justice H.A. Nwangjiwa of the Awka division of the court, entered judgment in favour of the applicant.
Justice Nwangjiwa declared that the extra judicial killing, and setting ablaze of the body of late Mr Samuel Okoro-the Applicant’s husband by the agents of the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the Nigerian Army, and one Chukwuka Chizorom Ofoegbu (a.k.a Ijele speaks) is illegal, unlawful, oppressive, inhumane and constitutes a breach of the Late Samuel Okoro’s fundamental rights to life, dignity of human person and fair hearing, guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution as amended and African Charter on Human & People Right (Ratification and Enforcement ACT CAP 10 Laws of Federation 1999.
He further directed the Nigeria Police, the State Security Service (SSS), the Nigerian Army and Chukwuka Chizorom (a.k.a IJELE Speaks) jointly and severally to tender unreserved public apology to Mrs. Felicia Okoro in one National and Domestic dailies.
In addition, the Court further awarded against the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the Nigerian Army and Chukwuka Chizorom Ofoegbu, jointly and severally, the sum of N10 million as compensation in favour of Mrs. Felicia Okoro- the Applicant, against the Nigeria Police, the DSS, the Nigeria Army, and Chukwuka Chizorom Ofoegbu, jointly and severally for the violation of the fundamental rights of the Applicant’s husband -Late Mr. Samuel Okoro.
The court further noted that no amount can compensate for the life of the deceased and the void created in the life of his family and loved ones.
The Court also awarded against the Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, the Nigerian Army and Chukwuka Chizorom Ofoegbu, jointly and severally in Mrs. Felicia Okoro’s favour, the sum of ₦5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira Only) as cost for prosecuting the suit.
In further condemning the dastardly act of these security agents, Justice Nwangjiwa further directed the Inspector General of Police, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Director General of the SSS to immediately identify their officers who participated in carrying out this dastardly act and bring them to book, sanction or punish them accordingly.
“Before I conclude, I wish to state that after watching the CCTV Footage, EXHIBIT A, I ran out of words to express my feelings to what I saw. I couldn’t believe what I saw was carried out by human beings like us and the Applicant. It was unfortunate and unbelievable. They didn’t only take the laws into their hands but behaved as if they are God who created life including Mr. Samuel Okoro, the late husband of the applicant.
” In the first place there was nothing shown as the basis why the Applicant’s Late Husband’s principal’s house was invaded and why the Applicant’s husband was brutally murdered in cold blood and subsequently burnt. Even if he had committed murder, the Respondents went too far by taking laws into their hands. The Applicant and her son has been thrown into untold hardship, depression and trauma both mentally, psychological and socially.
The Applicant’s late Husband was the breadwinner to his aged parents. The children have lost their father and no doubt it shall affect their academic pursuit looking up to their mother and God only to succeed in life. Again, the Applicant’s husband lost his life out of overzealous officers’ acts, who to my mind are callous hearted human beings.
They are not supposed to be in the service nor given responsibilities. May the soul of the departed, rest in perfect peace Amen. No amount of compensation can bring him back to life and the lost or injury suffered cannot be healed forever. It is really very sad and unfortunate. They should be brought to book”. Per, H.A Nganjiwa.