A Rivers State High Court presided over by Justice E. N. Thompson has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to pay the sum of N20million as damages to one Richard Abbey over his unlawful arrest and detention by the secret police.
In the judgement, the Court held that the fundamental human rights of Abbey was violated as the DSS detained the applicant beyond the constitutionally stipulated time.
Justice Thompson also ordered the DSS to tender an unreserved apology to Richard Abbey in a national daily and placed a restraining order on the Security Agency from carrying out further arrest of the applicant.
Counsel to Richard Abbey, Barrister Ajayi Olusegun described the judgement as justice for the common man which will serve as a deterrent to security agencies to desist from carrying out unlawful arrests.
Also speaking to Journalists outside the Courtroom, the Counsel to the Attorney General of Rivers State, Barrister Kingsley Briggs said the judgement will discourage the arbitrary arrests of innocent citizens by security agencies.
africafirstnews.com gathered that Richard Abbey who works as a surveillance contractor had dragged the DSS before the Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt for the enforcement of his fundamental rights over his unlawful arrest and detention on the 16th of July 2022.
