By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA—The Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has awarded N.4m damage against the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, over assault on a senior staff of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Effa Okim, who was brutalized by officers of the police force.

Though counsel to the EFCC staff, Mr. Patrick Ekuri, expressed joy with the judiciary that at least justice had prevailed, he, however, noted that the damage awarded was grossly inadequate, considering the amount the victim spent for his regular check-up oversees.

The EFCC staff had dragged the Inspector-General of Police and three others to the Federal High Court Abakiliki presided over by Justice M.A. Onyetenu, in the Suit N0. FHC,A1/CS/25/2013, praying the court for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights and award of N5 million as damages.

Okim, who was said to be on official duty in Abakaliki on February 28, 2013, had lodged in Adig Suits and was attacked at the hotel’s swimming pool and ordered out of the pool by the police on the orders of an Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, Stephen Esimaje, who is now late.

Okim was said to have refused to leave the pool because the police officers that ordered him out were in mufti but reluctantly obeyed the order when about 10 of the officers with uniform approached him to leave but not without serious beating.

His counsel told the court that even w hen his client introduced himself to the ACP as a senior EFCC officer, the latter told him that he was lucky to be alive and also gave him some slaps while the other police officers continued beating him to a pulp.

He was, however, lucky that some persons around smuggled him out of the hotel to the Federal Medical Centre, Abakiliki, where he was treated  before being taken to an Abuja clinic and then taken to a London clinic when it was clear that he was losing his sight.

His counsel told the court: “Currently, because of the beating, he now has challenges in the use of laptops, watching television and use of mobile phones.”

The counsel, therefore, prayed the court for a cost of N5 million to be paid by the Police to the applicant as damage incurred, including hospital bills.

Delivering judgment on the suit, Justice M. A Onyetenu held that the applicant did not commit any offence to wit, the respondent beating him up thereby violating his fundamental rights and awarded the sum of N400,000 against the police as damages jointly and severally against the respondents.

.