An FCT High Court has awarded the sum of N3 million in damages against the Nigeria Police over the prolonged detention of Nigeria-born former United States police officer, Maisule Kurugu.

Justice M. A. Nasir held that the detention of Kurugu for six days, without recourse to a court of law, violated sections 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 41, 42 and 46 of the 1999 Constitution.

He ruled that only the wrong done to the applicant, which included arresting him in the presence of his family and friends and preventing him from travelling from the airport could be remedied by the award of damages.

In the judgment delivered on May 24, Justice Nasir refused to award exemplary damages, upheld the submission of the police lawyer that there was reasonable ground for the police to make the arrest in line with sections 214 and 215 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 4 of the Police Act CAP P.19 LFN, 2004 following allegations against the applicant and his business partner, Adamu Mohammed.

Kurugu, who retired from the Texas State Police, demanded the sum of N500m against ex-IGP Abubakar, serving IGP Ibrahim Idris, Mrs Augusta Osagie, a business woman; Ibrahim Bello Sada, a DSS official; C.S.P. Onuoha Emeka, a Chief Superintendent of Police and DPO of Airport Police Station; Inspector Vincent Agyo, and the Nigeria Police.

In the fundamental rights enforcement application by his lawyer, Francis Mgbo, the chairman of Global Security and Equipment Ltd, also sought an order compelling the police to issue a public apology in three national newspapers over the arrest and detention.

The application followed the arrest and detention of Kurugu for six days at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja on January 11, 2017 and the alleged seizure of his international passport and luggage.

http://www.mcebisco.com.ng/2018/05/police-to-pay-ex-american-cop-n3m-over.html