Court Awards N200M to Widow Over Police Killing

On December 3, 2021, Babai, a truck driver, was killed by police officers while repairing his broken-down truck on the Ota-Efun-Osogbo road. Following the incident, Balkisu, Babai's widow, filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the police service, the Inspector General of Police, and Sergeant Mose Samuel, seeking N2 billion in compensation.

Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the police's actions violated Babai's constitutional right to life as guaranteed under Section 33(1) of the 1999 Constitution and Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. The court awarded Balkisu N200 million in compensatory and exemplary damages and ordered the Inspector General of Police and the Osun State Command to commence prosecution against Sergeant Samuel.

However, the court declined to compel the Attorney General of the Federation to institute criminal proceedings against the police sergeant, despite the police authorities having indicted him since August 2022.