Kaduna Governor, 3 others ordered to pay Maikori N40m for unlawful arrest

Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, alongside three other respondents, have been ordered by the Federal High Court in Abuja to pay the sum of N40 million as compensation to President of Chocolate City Group, Audu Maikori, for his unlawful arrest and detention by the police.

The other respondents in the case are the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, the Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State, and the Attorney-General of Kaduna State.

Maikori was arrested and detained between February 17 and 18, 2017 and again March 10 and 13 by the police in Lagos and flown to Abuja for posting false information about the alleged killing of some Southern Kaduna students by Fulani herdsmen, with some of it deemed to be inciting.

While delivering his judgement on the fundamental human rights enforcement suit filed by Maikori on May 5, 2017, Justice John Tsoho ruled Maikori's arrest in Lagos to be unlawful since the order of his arrest from a Magistrates' court obtained in Kaduna was not registered in Lagos before the arrest was effected.

Maikori's counsel, Gloria Ballason, also argued that the police violated his right to life and dignity by arresting and detaining him again between March 10 and 13 despite their awareness of his health problem.

Justice Tsoho granted 14 out of the 25 prayers sought by the applicant who had expressed remorse over the tweets he put up on social media and claimed he got from his driver.

He said, "The arrest was improper, irregular and wrongful. By necessary implication, the arrest was unlawful despite being released after 24 hours."

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While noting that the ruling should not interfere with Maikori's ongoing trial in Kaduna, Justice Tsoho also ordered the respondents to pay the sum of N1,430 to the applicant as the cost of instituting the suit.