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gogannaka
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« on: July 21, 2010, 10:23:18 AM » |
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Thisday newspapers
21/07/2010
Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the Inspector General of Police, Lagos State Commissioner of Police and officer I. K. Nwabueze to pay Mr and Mrs Muritala Saliu the sum of N22 million for killing their three-year old daugther, Kausarat.
In his judgment, Abang awarded the sum of N12 million against the defendants for the exemplary and aggravated damages against the defendants for unlawfully depriving the plaintiffs their rights to personal liberty having been beaten by the police officers at Ketu-Alapere.
He also awarded them N10 million as general damages for the loss, pain and suffering caused the plaintiffs for the brutal killing of their child.
The judge also awarded the plaintiffs the sum of N15,000 as cost for the action. He held that it was necessary to award the amount to the plaintiffs because the police failed to avail themselves the opportunity to be heard, adding that the law is no respecter of person and that nobody is above the law.
The judge described Kausarat’s killing by the police officers at Obanle-Aro, in Ketu area of Lagos as unlawful, wrong, callous and a gross violation of the deceased’s rights to life as guaranteed by Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Right.
He added that the assault meted on the plaintiffs by officers of the IGP and Commissioner of Police after the brutal killing of their child was a violation of the rights to human dignity as guaranteed by Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution.
On April 5, 2009, Kausarat and her parents were returning home from Wolimat, an Islamic gathering, where she met her untimely death in the hands of the police. The three-year old girl was hit by a police bullet at Obanle-Aro, in Ketu.
The bullet which initially hit her father’s hand, found its way into Kausarat’s head and she died instantly.
Instantly, the father ran towards the police officer that shot his daughter and grabbed him and instead of being remorseful for the killing, the police proceeded to assault her parents and detained both of them at Alapere Police Station because they protested and challenged the killing of their daughter.
As part of its advocacy to ensure police accountability for unlawful killings and brutality, a civil society organisation, Access to Justice, filed an originating summons at the court to seek redress.
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A very sad story of police brutality.
May God continue to expose such brutality and may He continue to punish those involved.
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