A River State High Court in Port Harcourt, the state capital, has fixed for judgment September 17 in a fundamental human rights suit filed against a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Yahaya Bello-Sam, by Mr. Olabisi Afolabi, a lawyer.
Bello-Sam, who is the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Eneka Police Station, is facing charges of assault and unlawful detention of Afolabi before Justice George Omereji.
Among other things, Afolabi is praying the court to order Bello-Sam to write him an apology letter and publish same in two national dailies.
The lawyer is also asking for N20 million compensation against the defendant to cushion the effect of the “damages the illegal detention” caused him and his career.
The matter was filed last month during the judges’ annual vacation and submissions by the parties were held yesterday.
But the court adjourned judgment till next week.
Addressing reporters after the sitting, counsel to the plaintiff, Omoniyi Abdulkareem, reiterated his earlier submission before the court that several petitions had been made to the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over the activities of the DPO to no avail.
Counsel to the accused, Pennington Ekom, expressed optimism in the decision of Justice Omereji.
Also, the state branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said it would ensure that security operatives no longer abuse the rights of lawyers and other Rivers State residents.