Oyerinde: Court awards N5m damages to Ugolor

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JETHRO IBILEKE, Benin

A Benin High Court on Friday awarded N5 million as damages against the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), for the unlawful detention of an environmental rights activist, Rev. David Ugolor, in connection with the murder of Governor Oshiomhole’s aide, Olaitan Oyerinde.

Justice Esther Edigin in her ruling also ordered the police to stop forthwith any further arrest of the applicant.

The Judgment was sequel to an earlier ruling by the court on August 16, 2012 wherein it ordered the immediate release of the activist. But two weeks after the order, the police still held on to him (Ugolor) explaining that it was not properly served.

Besides, the security operatives sought for an extension of time to enable it respond to the motion on notice brought against it (police) by Counsel to Applicant (Ugolor) Mr. Olayiwola Afolabi.

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Afolabi had in the motion sued the Defendant for defamation of character and breach of fundamental human rights of the Applicant.

Afolabi had also argued that the Respondent have continued to violate the fundamental human rights of Ugolor, even when operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) had paraded the alleged killers of Oyerinde.

Ogolor was arrested and detained on July 27, 2012 after one of the suspects in its custody allegedly named him as sponsor of the murder of Oyerinde.

Counsel to the police, Mr. David Abuo who expressed dissatisfaction with the judgement, said the Defendant will appeal the judgment.

“He said there was no proper application upon which the court should have acted,” he said.

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