By Joseph Erunke

ABUJA— THE Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday,
ordered the Department of State Service, DSS and
the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung,
to pay the sum of N20 million as compensation to
the Special Assistant to the Senate President on
Youth Matters, Ikenga Ugochinyere, over what it
called illegal arrest and detention.

The development came as the youth activist, in a
statement, alleged that the DSS had perfected plans
to re-arrest him over trumped-up charges that would
not be bailable .

He said the plan of the secret service was aimed at
remanding him in prison for allegedly refusing to be
silent in the political travails of the Senate
President.

Ugochinyere, who is also the President of the
National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, had
dragged the duo before the court for alleged breach
of his fundamental human rights , illegal arrest and
detention for about a month.

The court, presided over by Justice J. T. Tsoho,
also ordered the DSS and the minister to tender
unreserved apologies to the youth leader, in two
national dailies for what it described as
unconstitutional detention of the youth leader.
The ruling was in pursuant of section 34, 35(1) 36,
40 of the 1999 constitution.

The President of the NYCN had in a case, FHC
(ABJ) (CS) 342/2016, insisted that his arrest and
detention by DSS for about a month was a violation
of his fundamental human rights.

But the court, in a ruling, however barred the DSS or
similar security agencies from arresting or detaining
him.

The Judge declared the arrest and detention of
Ikenga as unlawful, unconstitutional, oppressive,
malicious and a gross violation of his freedom of
movements; and also went further to order the
Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung and
DSS to tender public apology to Ikenga in two
national dailies.

Justice Tsoho, in his ruling, also restrained DSS
from further arresting Barr. Ikenga or preventing him
in the discharge of his duties as President of
National Youth Council of Nigeria or any other
manner infringing on his fundamental rights.

source:
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/07/illegal-detention-court-orders-dss-dalung-to-pay-sarakis-aide-n20m/

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