Ife crisis: Afenifere accuses Police of sectionalism, demands N1bn damages from Federal Government
₦1,000,000,000 damages
the case after arresting 21 people
Tuesday, April 11 launched a lawsuit against the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) at
the Federal High Court, Abuja, over the detention of 21 suspects in connection
with the occurrence of ethnic crisis in Ile-Ife, requesting for ₦1 billion
compensation.
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Ile-Ife Crisis’ suspects paraded by police |
settlers within the town.
FHC/ABJ/CS/S/3/2017 with a 10-paragraph affirmation in the originating summon, Afenifere
stated that: “The sum ₦1, 000,000,000 damages for the unlawful and unconstitutional
arrest and detention of the applicants individually and collectively; for the
psychological and emotional trauma that their families are being subjected to
for almost one months and for the unlawfully parading them as common criminals
without filing any charge against them talk less of trial or conviction.”
court to pronounce their detentions as unlawful and unconstitutional, further
stating that their arrest was “an unlawful violation of the applicants constitutionally
guaranteed and protected right to dignity of human person and presumption of
innocence under sections 34 and 36(5) of the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended) for the respondents, either by themselves
or through their agents, officers, howsoever described, to parade the
applicants as common criminals to both print and electronic media houses, when
they have not been charged to court and convicted of any criminal offence.”
police has been taking side in handling the case.
earlier issued a statement on March 28, 2017, condemning the parade by the
police and trial of the suspects in Abuja, contending that they should be
brought back to Osun State for hearing.
police, specifically the arrest of only Yoruba people, leaving the other tribes
involved in the crisis and accused the police of being biased and sectionalism
in the manner it handled the issue based on the directive from above.
becomes worried with the way the police handled the Ife crisis, especially
considering the fact that the leadership of the presidency and that of the
police are from one of the sections involved in the crisis.
intimidated, harassed and embarrassed the Yoruba people of Ile-Ife. They
arrested some Yoruba people in the town and even pronounced them guilty without
any trial. “Up till now, the suspects are not arraigned, neither were they
tried, yet the police pronounced them guilty.
federal institution which is for all Nigerians regardless of tribe or ethnic
affiliation. The police should not be seen as an institution for a particular
ethnic group, as we are being made to understand through their actions now.”