Tortured Lagos couple to sue police for N100m

The couple that was tortured by a police corporal attached to the Ikoyi Police Division has perfected plans to sue the police for N100m damages.A lawyer with the Femi Falana Chamber, Austin Audu, told our correspondent on Wednesday that the matter would be taken to court on Monday.

PUNCH Metro had reported how Ejeh Smith and his wife, Grace, were on their way home in a cab around Lekki area of Lagos State, when a police corporal, Dada Ogunsanya, stopped the driver.Our correspondent reported that after conducting a routine check on the cab and the driving licence of the driver, Ogunsanya beamed his torch on the passengers.

They were said to have protested the action, saying the inner lights of the cab were on and there was no need for the action.

In the ensuing argument, which degenerated to a scuffle, Ogunsanya, allegedly tortured the couple by hitting Ejeh in the eye with the butt of his rifle and stepping on his wife’s stomach.

The Ikoyi Divisional Police Officer, Aisha Haruna, was alleged to have backed the police corporal’s action on her arrival at the scene.

She was also said to have deleted Grace’s recordings of the incident from her phone.

The police, in its reaction, however, said Ejeh was drunk on the night of the incident and he took a snapshot of the DPO, threatening to send her picture to his pastor who would pray against her.

A Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Femi Falana and constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay, were among many Nigerians who condemned the actions of both the policeman and the DPO.

Falana had particularly indicated an interest in taking up the case for the couple pro bono, a gesture the victims accepted.

The lawyer at the Femi Falana Chamber, Audu, told PUNCH Metro on Wednesday that the law firm intended to claim N100m damages on behalf of the victims.

He said the firm had already been briefed by the victims and the process of taking the matter to court had begun.

He said, “We are suing the police for N100m. We will finalise all documentations by Friday and latest by Monday, we will be in court.

“Frankly speaking, in a democratic setting, what happened to the couple was uncalled for. It is unfortunate that we now have policemen who have no regard for citizens’ rights and have little or no regard for authorities. There is need for the society to rise up and checkmate them at this stage. If we don’t do anything, things could get out of control.

“The police said they have started taking some administrative decisions, that they have transferred the DPO. That is not enough. We want the in-house administrative discipline publicised in the media.”

source:Punch