Tortured couple sue police for N100m in lagos

The couple brutalized by a police corporal in Lagos, Ejeh and Grace Smith, is suing the police authorities for damages.
The Lagos couple

brutalized by a

attached to the Ikoyi Police Division a few weeks ago ,

»

slammed

has

Smith,

million suit on the

damages.

Filing the suit on their behalf by the Femi Falana Chamber, the

say they want the police to pay them for the injuries and trauma they went through in the attack by the officer, Dada Ogunsanya.

The case that has drawn a lot of condemnation by

human rights lawyers, is said to be one too many and showcases the high handedness exhibited

police on Nigerian citizens.

according

couple,

The

were accosted on their way home in a cab around Lekki area of Lagos, by a police team on a stop and search duty and in the process of checking the taxi cab they rode in, the police

Ogunsanya,

corporal,

torch on the couple and when they protested, the power-drunk officer ordered them down and proceeded to brutalize them, leaving them with black eyes and other bruizes.

Divisional

Ikoyi

The

Aisha Haruna, who was called to the scene to try and bring her men to order, allegedly backed

corporal’s action on her arrival at the scene and ordered that the couple be

taken to the

and

arrested

where she confiscated Ejeh's camera and destroyed the recordings of the incident from Grace's phone.

When the case came to light,

police alleged that Ejeh was drunk » on the night of the incident and

snapshot

a

took

threatening to send her picture to his pastor who would pray against her.

But fiery Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Femi

decided to take up the case for the

bono,

pro

couple

victims accepted.

His chamber has now filed a claim for N100m damages on behalf of the victims having been briefed by the couple.

statement released

A

states:

"We are suing the police for N100m. We will finalise all documentations by Friday and latest by Monday, we will be in court.

Frankly speaking, in a democratic setting, what happened to the couple was uncalled for. It is unfortunate that we now have policemen who have no regard for citizens’ rights and have little or

authorities.

There is need for the society to rise up and checkmate

stage. If we don’t do anything, things could get out of control.

The police said they have started

some

taking

decisions, that they have transferred the DPO. That is not enough.

want the in-house

discipline publicised in the media."

General

Inspector

The

Abba Suleiman,

investigation »

immediate

case while the Lagos police say the erring officer and those who were in

the

on

team

the

incidence has been arrested and are now in detention awaiting trial if they are found guilty

leveled against them