Court Awards N1m Fine Against Enugu DSS Over Unlawful Detention

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Monday, February 19th, 2018

By Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

ENUGU, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A Federal High Court sitting in Enugu, South East Nigeria and presided over by Justice Rose Dugbo Oghoghorie, has awarded the sum of N1m damages against the Department of State Security Service (DSS) over unlawful detention of one Shuaibu Abdullahi for a year and five months without trial.

The young man was arrested and detained in DSS cell in Enugu, since 19th August 2015, without trial.

However, a Human Rights organization, operating under the Civil Rights Realization and Advancement Network, CRRAN, had on September 6, 2016, intervened on the matter, as it wrote to the DSS Director General and the Enugu state Director of the security outfit, on the need to put an end to the continued unlawful detention of Abdullahi, by either releasing him or charging him before a court of competent jurisdiction;

According to President of (CRRAN) Barr. Olu Omotayo, who spoke to newsmen weekend in Enugu, informing that the said letters were ignored by the security agency, adding that “some days later we approached the Federal High Court Enugu seeking the release of Shuaibu.

He said “the DSS refused service of court processes in the matter, and on 17th November 2016, the DSS called the elder brother of detainee on phone and quietly released Shuaibu to his brother, without waiting for the return date in Court on the 12th December 2016, and we continued with the fundamental rights proceedings” Omotayo told newsmen.

While delivering judgement on the matter with suit No. FHC/EN/CS/108/2016 weekend, the court, held that despite Shuaibu’s release, his detention for one year and five months, without trial constitutes an infraction on his fundamental rights, therefore awarded the sum of One Milion Naira to Shuaibu as damages, against the Department of State Security Service (DSS).