Anthony Iwuoma
For violating the fundamental human rights of two citizens, a former member of the House of Representatives, Ifeanyi Ibezi, is to cough out N1.1 million in compensation.
The Anambra State High Court gave the order with regard to the locking up and detaining of Paul Onwughalu and Friday Titus Umah in his toilet. The court said Mr. Ibezi violated their fundamental human rights.
The court also ordered Mr. Ibezi, who represented Idemili North/ South Federal Constituency, to pay N100,000 to the duo as cost of litigation and tender a public apology to them in a daily newspaper that circulates in Anambra State.
Ibezi, who contested the 2019 poll on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, was sworn in after the general election but was sacked by the Court of Appeal and replaced with Obinna Chidoka of the Peoples Democratic Party.
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The applicants had sued Mr. Ibezi, complaining of violation of their fundamental human rights and unlawful detention.
In suit HID/MISC/81/2019, the complainants said they were prevented from pasting the campaign posters of their principal, Annie Okonkwo, who was the candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the 2019 general election.
The plaintiffs had sought an order of the court for Ibezi and the co-defendants to pay them N150 million as damages as well as make a public apology in a newspaper.
Other respondents in the suit were Anayo Ndubuisi, Osita Agbaleke, Ifeanyichukwu Udoh, Chinasa Okoye, Obisesan Olusegun (a divisional police officer at Eziowelle Police Station) and the Commissioner Of Police in Anambra State.
The plaintiff said they were beaten, tortured and dispossessed of the posters before being arrested by the defendants and detained in a toilet at the premises of Mr. Ibezi’s residence at Abatete.
They said they were later handed over to the police station in Eziowelle where they were detained without being asked to make statements or told what their offences were.
They said the acts violated their fundamental rights and were against the spirit of section 39(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and Article IX of African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.
In his judgment, Justice Emeka Nri-Ezedi said the suit had merit and that the plaintiffs had provided enough evidence to prove their case.
