A State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has ordered the Department Of State Security Services, DSS, to pay 20 million Naira as damages to one Richard Abbey, over his unlawful arrest and detention by the security agency.
Delivering judgement on a Fundamental Human Rights Violation Matter, brought before the court by Richard Abbey, against the DSS, Justice E.N Thompson said, the DSS detained the applicant beyond the stipulated time, thereby infringing on the Fundamental Human Rights of the applicant.
Justice Thompson also ordered the DSS to tender an unreserved apology to Richard Abbey on a national daily and placed a restraining order on the DSS from carrying out further arrest of the applicant.
Counsel to Richard Abbey, Ajayi Olusegun, described the judgement as justice for the common man and will serve as a deterrent to security agencies, to desist from carrying out unlawful arrests.
Also speaking, counsel to the Attorney General of Rivers State, Barrister Kingsley Briggs, said the judgement will discourage the arbitrary arrests of innocent citizens by security agencies.
It may be recalled that Richard Abbey, who is a surveillance contractor, had dragged the DSS to the State High Court, for enforcement of his fundamental rights, against the security agency, over an alleged unlawful arrest and detention, which occurred on the 16th of July 2022.
(Editor: Ifeanyi Mark)
