Supreme Court Upholds N10m Damages for Delta Residents

On Friday, the Supreme Court of Nigeria dismissed an appeal filed by the Police Force challenging a judgment from the Federal High Court, which found the police liable for violating the fundamental rights of 14 residents in Delta State. The case, marked SC CV 833/2024 and SC CV 834/2024, involved allegations of unlawful arrest and detention during a controversial police operation in Kwale.

Justice Abubakar Sadiq upheld the earlier decision, affirming the award of N10 million in aggravated and exemplary damages, along with N500,000 in costs against the police. The court emphasized that the right to personal liberty is guaranteed under Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, and it is the duty of the courts to protect citizens from abuses of state power.

The Supreme Court found that the police failed to rebut the allegations and dismissed their argument that the appeal lacked merit, affirming the lower court's ruling.