Nigeria police defeated in court, looses N11.2million to Peace Corps in human rights suit

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– The tussle between the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) is still on

– The PCN seems to be having a upper hand in the court case

– An Abuja High Court has dealt a huge blow to the police in the issue

An Abuja High Court has issued a garnishee order attaching the money belonging to the Nigerian police in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the purpose of settlement of judgment debt incurred by the NPF in the judgment against them.

The garnishee order directs the police to pay the incorporated trustees of PCN and its national commandant, Ambassador Dickson Akoh a sum of N11,270,000 from its account with number 0020054161043 maintained at the CBN.

The N11.2million was awarded in favour of the judgment creditors by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja judgement delivered against the police on March 26, 2014.

Peace Corps boss, Ambassador Akoh in one of his court appearances

Although, the judgment was delivered in 2014, Akoh was said to have prevailed on lawyers not to enforce the judgment in the interest of cordial relationship between his organization, police and other arms of security agencies.

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However, the board of PCN was said to have resolved to enforce all the existing judgments against police, in view of the continued antagonism, harassment and intimidation of officers and men of the Corps.

Justice Sylvanus Chinedu Oriji, issued the garnishee order upon an exparte motion argued on behalf of the PCN by Barrister J. E. Chukwuma.

In an enrollment of court order dated Friday, March 17 and signed by the judge and the court senior registrar, Mr Akpabio Micheal Brown, the garnishee was issued, so as to satisfy the judgment debt awarded against police and in favour of the creditors comprising Mr Shuaib, Mr Peter Ojoma and Miss Joy Obakachi.

The court had in 2010

declared that, the directives, instructions, signals and orders issued to all police zones, officers and agents by police to ban and disrupt the activities of the PCN were unlawful and unconstitutional.

The court in the judgment declared that the detention of the officers of the PCN at the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Garki and Apo Legislative Quarters police station for a total of 29 days was unlawful and unconstitutional.

Copies of the documents from the court

The judgment held that Peace Corps was a bonifide legal association surely authorized by law to carry out its functions with the aim of realizing its aims and objectives and that the seizure of its properties by police was also unlawful and unconstitutional.

A restraining order was issued by the court against the police from disrupting the lawful activities of the PCN and also ban the NPF from further arresting or detaining the PCN officials.

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Apart from the restraining orders, the court imposed a fine of N11.2million on police to be paid to the arrested and detained Peace Corps officers as compensation for the unjust, inlawful and unconstitutional police action against them.

The Nigeria police had arraigned Akoh in court on Monday, March 20. The police detained Akoh on Sunday, March 19 after he submitted himself for questioning at the FCT police command.

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