A Minna High Court 4 has awarded the sum of N10 million against the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and three of its personnel for physical assault and torture of a lawyer, Muhammad Kutiriko Suleiman of Haske Chambers, Minna.
The court also ordered the defendants to tender written public apologies to the plaintiff and publish the same in two national dailies.
The plaintiff, represented by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) led by the state Chairman, Barrister Mohammed Waziri Abdulkadir, had dragged the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and three of its personnel by way of originating summons for unlawful assault and torture of the complainant.
NBA had told the court that on May 8, 2024, Barrister Muhammad Kutiriko Suleiman of Haske Chambers, Minna was subjected to assault and torture by officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps at the premises of the Magistrate Court, Tunga Roundabout where he had gone to defend a case following a slight argument.
The legal body argued that the offence constituted a violation of the applicant’s constitutional right to dignity and asked the court to order the respondents to issue an unreserved public apology to the applicant.
NBA also asked the court to award N50 million compensation for the violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights and exemplary damages of N10 million against the respondents to serve as a deterrent.
Delivering the judgement, Justice Mohammed Mohammed, said the assault and torture of the applicant was illegal, null, and void, and ordered the respondents to jointly issue a written apology to the applicant to be signed by all of them.
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