The plaintiffs, including Eugene Okwudili Okonkwo and family members, allege violations and seek exemplary and aggravated damages. The suit was filed through the law firm Okwudili Okonkwo & Co.
A lawsuit seeking N50 million in damages for human rights violations has been filed against the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, two policemen - Ahejo Tony Ikechukwu and Victor Effiong - and Stanbic IBTC Plc.
The plaintiffs, including Eugene Okwudili Okonkwo and family members, allege violations and seek exemplary and aggravated damages. The suit was filed through the law firm Okwudili Okonkwo & Co.
The suit was instituted by Eugene Okwudili Okonkwo Esq, Glad Nkechi Okonkwo, Chidinma Daniel Okonkwo Esq., Chukwudi Emmanuel Okonkwo, Ihunanya Esther Okonkwo Esq and Aduragbemi Bamigbade who are the 1st to 6th Applicants, through Eugene Okwudili Okonkwo Esq., Chinonyerem Emanuela Duru Esq. and Chidinma Daniel Okonkwo Esq.
In the suit No: FHC/4CS/1638/24 filed at the Federal Court in Ikoyi, Lagos State listed the Inspector General of Police, Lagos Police Commissioner, Ahejo Tony Ikechukwu, Victor Effiong as the 1st to 4th Respondents and Stanbic IBTC Plc as 5th Respondent.
The Applicants in the suit filed on September 11, 2024, sought among other reliefs: "A declaration that the arrest, detention and continuous harassment of the 4th Applicant by the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Respondents on the malicious instigation of the 5th Respondent for the alleged crimes is unconstitutional and a flagrant breach of the Applicant's Fundamental Right to personal liberty, dignity of the human person, freedom of movement and fair hearing.
"An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Respondents and their agents from further arrest, detention and harassment of the Applicants on the malicious instigation of the 5th Respondent for the alleged crimes.
"The sum of N50 Million in favour of the Applicants jointly and severally against the Respondents as general damages for the illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional arrest and detention, and flagrant breach of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Applicant's Fundamental Right to personal liberty, dignity of the human person, freedom of movement and right to fair hearing.
"An order directing the Respondents each, to issue a written apology to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd 4th, 5th and 6th Applicants for the infringement of their Fundamental right to personal liberty, dignity of the human person, freedom of movement and right to fair hearing.
"An order directing the 5th Respondent to withdraw and retract all malicious mails sent to financial institutions describing the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Applicants as fraudulent.
"And such further order(s) as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case in the interest of justice."
Chukwudi Emmanuel Okonkwo, the 4th applicant, swore under oath in an affidavit of urgency that he was intercepted by unknown men on August 6, 2024, at 7:00 a.m. while driving to work. He said they blocked his vehicle and ordered him to step out.
He said he obeyed having recognized two of the men as staff members of the 5th Respondent (Stanbic IBTC Plc).
He narrated, "They dragged me by my belt area of my trouser and forced me into a vehicle. They then drove me to the 5th Respondent's Operational Headquarters in Ilupeju, which also happens to be my office.
"That these men started accusing me of stealing monies from the 5th Respondent and kept me in a room from morning till night despite my repeated pleas for them to allow me to speak to my lawyer or my family members.
"That at about 9: 00 pm that same day they made me transfer some money from all my bank accounts into an account they provided for me.
"That at about 10:00 pm they drove me to Kam salam building and handed me over to the Police. In all these my family nor my lawyers knew my whereabouts.
"That in the Police Custody, I was made to sleep outside in the open where mosquitoes bit me and I fell ill instantly.
"That on Wednesday, the 7th day of August, the Police took my statement under duress without allowing me make contact with my family or my lawyers.
"That on Wednesday, the 7th day of August 2024, my elder brother then went on X (formerly called Twitter) and announced that I had been kidnapped as he didn't know my whereabouts and the 5th Respondent was not answering his query.
"That about 2pm on this same 7th day of August 2024, the 3rd Respondent finally allowed me call the 3rd Applicant my elder brother and my location was disclosed to him.
"That the 3rd Applicant was told by the 3rd Respondent that I had been granted police bail and that my family could come for me.
"That the 5th Applicant, my younger sister quickly rushed to the Police Station in Kam Selem House and instead of the 1st to 4th respondents releasing me, they instead harassed her and made her to write a statement and granted her bail on self-recognizance.
"That the 1st to 4th Respondents then informed the 5th Respondent that my bail bond was set at N2 million with a surety with a property in Ikoyi."
He added, "That on Thursday the 8th day of August 2024 my family were able to raise N1 million which the 1st to 4th Respondent collected and refused to release me.
"That on this same 8th day of August 2024, my health failed me and I was rushed to the hospital by the 3rd and 4th respondent.
"That on Friday the 9th day of August 2024, I was charged to Tinubu Magistrate Court with charge number A/34/2024 and was remanded in Ikoyi prisons.
"That my bail was perfected on Monday, the 12th day of August 2024 and I rejoined my family. I had to be taken to the hospital and I was diagnosed with high malaria and one of my teeth had to be extracted on Wednesday, the 14th day of August 2024.
"That despite my being charged to court, my bank accounts and that of all the Applicants remain frozen.
"That all the Respondents have continued to harass all the Applicants, especially through their proxies, the 3rd and 4th Applicants
"That all the Applicants are constantly living in fear that what befell me in the hands of the Respondents would also befall them despite the Respondents not having any probable case against them since I've been charged to court on alleged and trumped-up charges."
He further told the court that he had been traumatized and grossly inconvenienced by the “illegal actions of the Respondents” and urged the Court to protect him and all the applicants by restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Respondents or any of their proxies, from further harassing and “violating their fundamental rights to freedom of liberty on the instigation of the 5th Respondent for the crimes he did not commit”.
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