By Lukman Olabiyi
A company staff, Prince Chigozie Amajuoyi has sued the Inspector -General of Police, Mr. Usman Baba, and a police inspector, attached to the Force Criminal Investigation Department(FCID),Alagbo, Lagos, Samuel Tablajojo Iyucunie over his alleged unlawful arrest, detention and brutality for 11 days.
Prince Amajuoyi who is a staff of Uccas Resources Ltd, in the suit filed before the Federal High Court, Lagos, by his lawyer, Charles Ugwuanyi,alleged that he was severely brutalised by a team of police officers led by Inspector Iyucunie, who stormed his office on March 19, 2020, to arrest him for not producing the managing director of his company, Christian UKata, whom he had stood surety for. Joined in the suit as co-respondents are Ecobank, and ETI Specialised Resolution Company Ltd, who accompanied, instigated, and sponsored the police.
In the affidavit accompanying the suit, Amajuoyi, claimed that he was never given any prior notice to produce his boss, and was surprised when police officers stormed his office to arrest him.
During the arrest, Amajuoyi, claimed that he was severely brutalised with blood gushing out of his eyes, and other parts of his body before he was bungled into a waiting van, taken to Alagbon and detained for 11 days without medical attention.
Amajuoyi claimed that, while in detention, he was threatened by Inspector Iyucunie, and that when he was eventually admitted to bail, the inspector demanded and received N100,000 from his surety, Mr. John Nwobodo before his release.
Since being released from detention, Amajuoyi claimed that he has been frequenting in the hospital to attend to the serious health challenges occasioned by the brutality he suffered during and after his arrest. Among the reliefs Amajuoyi is seeking for, is a declaration that his ‘arrest, brutalisation and detention for 11 days, March 19 to 30, 2020, without being charged to court or released on administrative bail, was unwarranted, illegal, and an infringement of his fundamental rights.’’
Amajuoyi is also seeking a restraining order preventing the police from further arresting him. and his surety, and consequential damage of N100million paid to him by the police and Ecobank who allegedly instigated the police to infringe on his rights.
When the matter came up on September 27, 2022, before Justice Awogboro Olawunmi, the IGP, and Inspector Iyucunie, were yet to file their responses, while the 3rd and 4th respondents were represented by counsel.
After the judge was satisfied that all the parties had earlier been served with the originating processes, he adjourned the matter to November 3, 2022 for hearing.