BY DAYO JOHNSON

AKURE — AN Okitipupa High Court, in Ondo State,  yesterday, ordered the Ondo State Police Command to pay N500,000 each to three chiefs for their unlawful detention.

The Chiefs who are from Irele  include, High Chief Olamigoke Bamidele, the Ojagbaletemi of Irele; High Chief Busayo Adeyeye and Chief Eniola Monehin.

They dragged the police with two others to court over their unlawful arrest and detention.

Other respondents include the  Olofun of Irele kingdom, Oba Olarewaju Lebi and the Interim Chairman of Irele local council area, Mr Dele Olatunji.

The chiefs were arrested and detained on November 8, 2013 for alleged breach of peace and installation of a new king for Irele kingdom despite that there is a sitting monarch.

The chiefs were arrested and detained following a petition written by Oba Lebi to the Police over the installation of a new oba.

The chiefs, in  a suit No: HOK /18M/2013, filed by the applicants’ lawyer, Bode Famakin, said that his clients were right to install a new Olofun of Irele since a law court had declared the stool vacant, pointing out that the unlawful arrest and detention amounted to the violation of their personal liberty.

In his ruling, the presiding judge, Justice S. A. Bola, said the Police had acted in contravention of the period provided by the constitution without admitting the suspects to bail or charge them to court.

Justice Bola described the action of the Police as infringement on the applicants’ fundamental right under section 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He, therefore,  awarded N500,000 damages against the Police for continuous detention of the applicants in police cell.