Ogwashi-Uku chief sues IG

Raymond Mordi

The Traditional Prime Minister of Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha South Local Government of Delta State, Olinzele Collins Afuwah has dragged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu to court, over his recent arrest and detention by a detachment of policemen from the Police Force headquarters.

In the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Asaba, Delta State, for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights, the Iyase of Ogwashi-Uku listed the IGP, one Chief Mike Nwaukoni and five others as defendants.

A statement from Olinzele Afuwah, attaching a copy of the court application filed by his lawyer Larry Olisa said he arrested and detained for hours by the police over a chieftaincy matter between him and Nwaukoni.

Afuwah said the matter which the police were said to be investigating is pending in a Delta State High Court with the suit No: A/62/20I9 as filed by the deceased Obi of the community, Prof. Chukwuka Okonjo, who installed him as the Iyase.

Read Also: FUOYE killings: Lawyer sues IG, demands N1bn damages

In the suit No: FHC/ASB/CS/II9/20I9, Olinzele Afuwah is asking the court to award a cost of NI50, 000, 000 against the defendants for the trauma, embarrassment and desecration of his palace as a result of the respondent’s act.

The Iyase also wants the court to also declare that his arrest and detention by the respondent agents, servants, privies or otherwise at the police headquarters at the instance of the first respondent, Chief Mike Nwaukoni over a chieftaincy title which is still a subject of litigation between the deceased Obi, Prof. Chukwuka Okonjo and Mike Nwaukoni is unjustifiable, arbitrary and an abuse of the second respondent’s power of arrest and therefore unconstitutional and illegal.

This, the applicant said, violated his fundamental human rights as guaranteed under Sections 35 and 4I [I]of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I999; Article 6 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights and Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The applicant among other reliefs also wants the court to grant a perpetual injunction restraining the police from further arresting, threatening to arrest and detaining him with respect to the issues relating to this application and from arbitrarily taking over, meddling with or dealing with the applicant’s property.