The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, presided over by Justice Friday Ogazi, has dismissed a ₦100 million fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Ogochukwu Ofodume against the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and four others, describing the case as lacking merit.
The court also ordered Ofodume to pay ₦250,000 in costs to the respondents.
The suit, numbered FHC/L/CS/2639/2023, named the IGP, Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Nigeria Police Force (INTERPOL), Superintendent of Police Omijie Bidemi, and Zhu Yan Qin, a Chinese national, as respondents.
Ofodume, represented by his counsel, Eze Okam, alleged violations of his rights to personal liberty, dignity, and freedom of movement, claiming police actions were instigated by a civil dispute with Zhu Yan Qin.
He sought ₦100 million in damages, the release of his international passport, and an injunction restraining police from further harassment or restricting his bank accounts.
However, the police, represented by Morufu Animashaun, countered that their actions were lawful and part of a criminal investigation.
They accused Ofodume of defrauding Zhu Yan Qin in business transactions involving wax cloths and timber exports, alleging he misappropriated over ₦509 million, including goods worth ₦298 million and ₦45.2 million meant for timber exports.
The funds, they claimed, were diverted into personal ventures such as real estate and textile businesses.
In a counter-affidavit sworn by SP Omijie Bidemi, the police denied any rights violations, justifying Ofodume's detention and the surrender of his international passport as standard procedural measures during investigations.
They also rejected claims of harassment or extortion.
In his judgment, Justice Ogazi concluded that Ofodume failed to substantiate his claims, labeling the suit an abuse of court process designed to hinder the criminal investigation.
The court upheld the police’s actions as being within their constitutional authority to investigate and prosecute crimes.
The judge dismissed the case and awarded ₦250,000 in costs to the respondents, emphasizing that the litigation appeared to have been filed in bad faith.
Copyright Notice: All rights reserved. The content on this website, including text and other digital materials, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed, in whole or in part, without the express written consent of THE NEWS ACCELERATOR NETWORK.
For advertising inquiries, news coverage, or press releases, please contact us at thenewsacceleratornetwork@gmail.com or call 08144048512, 08051017159.
Post a Comment