By Yemi Oyeyemi, Abuja.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has imposed a fine of N5M on the Department of the State Service (DSS) over the unlawful arrest and detention of an Abuja based commercial driver, Sanusi Shuaib.
The Court ordered that the N5M must be paid to the detainee while it also ordered the DSS to immediately release him having clamped him into detention without trial since January 16, 2023.
Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon in a judgment on Thursday held that the DSS flagrantly flouted section 35 of the country’s Constitution which prohibited detention of any Nigerian beyond a maximum period of 48 hours without an order of Court.
The Judge said that DSS on March 29 last year got an order of the Federal High Court to hold and detain the driver for only 20 days to investigate and charge him to court if indicted for any criminal matters.
The Court said that since the DSS did not apply to the court for extension of the 20 days detention period and also did not charge him to court for any offence, any detention outside the 20 days was unlawful, illegal, unconstitutional and null and void.
The detained driver had through his lawyer, Bala Dakum dragged the DSS before the court to challenge his detention without trial since his arrest on March 16 last year.
He claimed that the DSS upon arrest accused him of being in possession of firearms for some terrorists and had since remained in the custody of the respondent.
The applicant prayed for his release and N50M compensation for the unlawful detention.
Justice Olajuwon in the judgment agreed that the fundamental rights of the applicant to freedom of movement had been breached by the DSS.
The Judge faulted the claim of the DSS that it was granted six months to detain the driver adding that what the court granted was just 20 days.
Justice Olajuwon also disagreed with the DSS that the detainee had been moved to the Military detention facility in Gwa gwa, Niger State for trial in terrorism offences adding that there was no evidence to that effect placed before the court.
The Judge also faulted the claim of the security agency that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice gave approval for the trial of the driver.
Justice Olajuwon who quoted the letter of the AGF said that the AGF office only recommended that fresh investigation be conducted into the allegations against the driver but which was never done.
The Judge therefore nullified the continued detention of the driver and ordered his immediate release from the DSS custody in Abuja.