Court Fixes Judgment In Police Torture Suit

A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has fixed 4 May, 2012 for judgment in the case of alleged illegal detention and torture of Prince Segun Adefioye by the Nigeria Police.

Adefioye in 2010 instituted the legal action against the Inspector-General of Police alleging that he was wrongfully arrested and tortured by the Divisional Police Officer of KLT Police station, Apapa, CSP Hope Okafor, over a car clearing transaction involving his cousin.

Adefioye in his statement of claim alleged that sometime in April 2010, his cousin, Isiaka Oyesanmi, was reported to have absconded with N350,000 given to him, by Gbenga Obanla for the clearing of a vehicle belonging to CSP Hope Okafor.

He further alleged that upon identifying himself before the Police as a relative of Isiaka Oyesanmi, he was immediately arrested and bundled into the police cell despite his plea that he has not seen the said Isiaka for over two years, nor was he aware of the transaction involving him and the DPO.

Adefioye also averred that while in detention, he was severely tortured for days on the orders of Okafor until his cousin Isiaka showed.

Instead of allowing him to go since the culprit had surrended himself, Adefioye averred that Okafor turned the case against him by making him the principal accused person while Isiaka became a witness in the matter.

He further claimed that he was made to issue a post-dated cheque for the repayment of the money given to Isiaka. According to him, his Nissan Pathfinder car was also impounded at the police station.

Adefioye also noted that during his eight days ordeal, his wife who was on admission at the hospital developed stroke and consequently died some months later.

In his relief, Adefioye asked the court to hold that his arrest, torture and detention was illegal and consequently order the Nigeria Police to pay him N10million as damages.

In her counter-affidavit, CSP Hope Okafor denied all the averrment made by Prince Adefioye insisting that he stood as surety for his cousin Isaika and was never in anyway tortured.

—Henry Ojelu