By Francis Onoiribholo - Benin
A Benin Palace Chief, Chief John Osamede Adun, the Ayobahan of Benin Kingdom has instituted a legal action against the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Samuel Adegbuyi at the Federal High Benin for illegally detaining him for ten hours in his office without justification.
He described the action of the Police Commissioner as unlawful, unconstitutional and a serious infringement on his fundamental right to personal liberty and freedom as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended.
In the suit before by the court by his counsel, Olayiwola Afolabi, the applicant is also asking the respondent to pay him the sum of N10million being general and exemplary damages for the infringement of his fundamental rights to personal liberty and right to dignity of human person.
He wants an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondent, his agents, servants or privies from further interference with the constitutionally guaranteed rights of his liberty in respect of the issue of banning of levy collection through tickets on the road in Edo State and any other matter whatsoever connected with without probable reasonable and justifiable case.
In a 23 paragraphed affidavit to support his claim, Chief Adun averred that on the 1st of June, 2015, he received a call from the Police Commissioner at about 1pm summoning him to his office and a time he was performing traditional functions at the Palace of the Oba of Benin since he was a first class traditional chief in Benin Kingdom.
He said that he had to leave his traditional functions in the Palace to honour his summons adding that on getting to his office, he was surprised when the respondent in the midst of senior Police Officers asked him questions about the banning of tickets by the Edo State government and he replied to the effect that the matter never concerned him in any manner whatsoever.
He added that he further told the respondent that his name was never mentioned by the government in its publications on the banning of tickets as he never belonged to Akugbe Ventures Ltd, REATAN, NURTWU or any other organisations.
Chief Adun said that he was surprised when the respondent ordered him to go with the Assistant Commissioner of Police State CID to make a statement which he refused to do and they threatened to detain him until he wrote the statement on a matter he said, never concerned him.
The applicant said that he was only released to go home at about 10pm after making the statement, adding that as he was taking his food, another call came that the Commissioner of Police wanted to see him again and was allowed to go home about 11pm after being subjected to another round of humiliation by the respondent’s officers.
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