Evans sues police over illegal detention, human rights abuse

isaac dachen

June 29, 2017 12:13 PM

The notorious kidnap and armed robbery kingpin has sued the Nigeria Police for unlawful detention and breach of his human rights.

After weeks of media frenzy, Evans, the kidnap kingpin, is nowhere to be found

Despite keeping many of his kidnap victims for up to seven months while negotiating for a ransom payment,

Evans who filed a fundamental rights enforcement action before the Lagos Federal High Court in Lagos State has urged the court to order the police to immediately charge him to court or release him as he was being detained illegally, which is an infringement on his fundamental human rights.

ALSO READ: "Wages Of Sin: 'Evans has been weeping like a baby in the cell' - Police source"

Evans, through his lawyer, Voice Olukoya Ogungbeje, also joined as respondents in the suit marked FHC/L/CS/1012/2017, Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Lagos State Police Command.

The suspected kidnap and armed robbery kingpin who was arrested on June 10, 2017, after eluding the police for many years, is seeking a court order directing the respondents to immediately charge him to court if they think they have any case against him in accordance with sections 35 (1) (c) (3) (4) (5) (a) (b) and 36 of the Nigerian Constitution.

In the alternative, Evans is seeking an order compelling the respondents to immediately release him unconditionally in the absence of any offense that will warrant his being charged to court.

He is further contending that his continued detention by the respondents since June 10, 2017, without being charged to court or released on bail, was an infringement on his fundamental human rights.

Ogungbeje argued that the respondents ought to have charged Evans to court in accordance with the provisions of sections 35 and 36 of the Constitution.

He further argued that the alleged offense committed by Evans were correspondingly intertwined with the constitutional safeguards as provided under sections 35 and 36 of the Constitution.

ALSO READ: "More Revelations: 'How I was able to escape from police for so long' - Billionaire kidnapper"

However, the Force Public Relations Officer [FPRO] CSP Jimoh Moshood has countered Evans' claims of breach of his human rights by stating that the force had obtained a court order from a Federal High Court, Abuja, to detain the suspect for three months, for proper investigation.

The investigations, according to the Force spokesman, will take operatives to Ghana, South Africa and other places where Evans operated from before he would be arraigned.

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