Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Lagos, on Monday, awarded N2 million as damages against the police over illegal arrest and detention of three tricyclists.
The applicants are Mr Samson Adeotan, Chairman, the Keke Owners Riders Association of Nigeria; Oluwole Owolabi and Oluwasegun Ogundare.
They had filed the suit in December 2013, seeking an enforcement of their fundamental rights against the police.
Joined as respondents in the suit are the Inspector General of Police; Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit (SFU); Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, and one Petra Microfinance Bank Ltd.
The applicants had sought a declaration that their detention by officers of the third respondent, and invitations by the second respondent, over a purely civil transaction, amounted to a breach of their rights.
They had sought a mandatory order of court restraining the respondents or their officers from further harassing or threatening to arrest them over their loan facility agreement with Petra Microfinance Bank.
They had also claimed the sum of N20 million against the respondents, jointly and severally, for their illegal arrest and detention.
Delivering his judgement on Monday, Justice Abang awarded the sum of N2 million as general damages against the respondents, jointly and severally, for illegal detention of the applicants.
Abang also awarded a cost of N50,000 against the respondents, jointly and severally.
The court held that since the transaction between the applicants and Petra Microfinance Bank was civil in nature, the appropriate step was for the bank to have sued for a recovery of debt.
The judge held that it was not the duty of the police to act as a debt collector for the bank, adding that the original duty of the police was for the maintenance of law and order.
