Suspect Sues IGP Over Alleged Torture

MOHAMMED_ABUBAKAR_POLICE-IG

A suspect, Mr. Ikedideke Theophilus, has dragged the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar to court, alleging that he was shot while in custody of the police.

Joined as defendants in the suit are the Commissioner of Police and an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr. Chris Nwogu.

The suspect was allegedly arrested by the police over offences bordering on cultism.

Theophilus in the suit before the state High Court sitting in Yenagoa, is asking the court to award him N50 million as general damages to enable him get proper medical treatment, which involves orthopedic surgery and cardiology.

He wants the court to declare that he is “entitled to the general damages for his unlawful torture, shooting and inhuman treatment he received from the police while in custody.”

The claimant described himself as a 17-year old from Amassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State and 300 level Mechanical Engineering student of the Niger Delta University, Amassoma.

Theophilus alleged that the police in their desperate bid to extract information from him “hanged and tortured me several times and in the process, shot my two legs.”

He said that the shooting occurred on January 13, 2013, adding that the police denied him proper medical treatment of the injuries they inflicted on him.

“When the High Court released me on bail, the defendants refused to obey the court order. Even when my father wrote to state Commissioner of Police, concerning my shooting, he refused to take any action and did not even reply the letter,” he said.

He complained that instead of obeying the court order, the defendants arraigned him before a High Court and sent him to Ahoada Prison.

He said, “In prison, I have been having serious pains and the prison’s doctor recommended proper medical treatment by orthopedic surgeon and a cardiologist.” [Vanguard]