A Federal High Court in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has slammed a fine of N105 million on the police over the unlawful arrest and detention of an event promoter, Jude Henry Osagbai.
The ruling by Justice H.I.O. Oshomah, emphasized the constitutional boundaries of police authority in civil matters and reinforced the judiciary’s commitment to upholding citizens’ fundamental rights.
In a suit marked FHC/L/ CS/1568/2024, Osagbai, represented by his lawyer, Ayi-Ekpenyong Imah, sued the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector General of Police, Ugochukwu Jude Nwosu (popularly known as Ugobeatz Empire), and Destiny Ajiboye.
He alleged that he was wrongfully arrested, detained, and extorted in relation to a failed contractual agreement involving popular Nigerian artist Douglas Jack Agu, better known as Runtown.
The conflict stemmed from a March 6, 2024 agreement for Runtown to perform at the “Runtown Live in Turkey 2024” concert scheduled for April 14, 2024, in Istanbul After Nwosu paid 70 per cent of the agreed fee, the concert was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.
Unsatisfied, Nwosu lodged a complaint with police units in Lagos and Abakaliki, which led to Osagbai’s arrests on May 10 and again from June 6 to 10, 2024. Osagbai claimed he was coerced into paying N3.6 million and N4 million to Nwosu under duress, in addition to N950,000 for bail, and also reported the loss of personal items.
His lawyer argued that the case was a civil disagreement and cited Supreme Court judgements prohibiting police involvement in debt recovery or enforcement of private contracts.
In his judgement, Justice Oshomah held that despite the absence of all parties, Osagbai’s constitutional rights under Sections 34, 35, 41, and 44 of the 1999 Constitution were violated. The judge also cited Articles 2, 3, 5, and 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The court further held that the arrest and detention of Osagbai on May 10 and from June 6 to 10, 2024, were unlawful, unconstitutional, and a breach of his fundamental rights. The court also barred Nwosu and his agents from initiating any further arrests or detentions related to the civil dispute.
The court however awarded ₦100 million in damages jointly and severally against the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector General, and Nwosu for unlawful arrest, detention, and extortion.
The court directed the Nigeria Police Force, Inspector General, and Nwosu to publish a public apology in two widely circulated national newspapers. An additional N5 million in legal costs was awarded in favour of Osagbai.
