Kano court orders police to pay N10m compensation to family of dead detainee

A High Court sitting in Kano has ordered the authorities of the Nigerian Police to pay the sum of N10 million as compensation to the relatives of a suspect, the Late Nura Umar, who passed on in their detention. Delivering his judgment in the case, on Tuesday, the Presiding Judge, Justice Yusuf Ubale, also berated the Nigerian Police for acting in an unlawful manner He described the detention of the deceased for 11 days as ‘unconstitutional and a clear violation of his fundamental rights’, saying the violation of his rights certainly called for a remedy. He directed the Assistant Inspector General of Police , Zone 1 , Cornelius Kayode Aderanti and the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Rabiu Yusuf, to pay the mother of the deceased and his guardian, Hadiza Umar and Abdullahi Isa, respectively, the sum of N8 million as compensation. The jugde also awarded N2 million as general and exemplary damages against the Nigeria Police. It could be recalled that the mother of the deceased, Hajia Hadiza Umar, had approached the court situated on Miller Road, through her counsel, Barr. Ali Jamilu, seeking redress for the death of her son. According to her counsel, the police had arrested the deceased for allegedly committing an act of theft and had held him in their custody from 26th of January 2017 to 6th February 2017 when he passed away. Barr. Ali Jamilu had urged the court to enforce the late Umar’s right to life, insisting the police acted in contrast to the provisions of Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution as Amended.