By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA—An Abuja High Court sitting at Maitama has okayed an ex-parte motion filed before it by an Abuja-based businessman, Mr. Samuel Kolawole Sanni, seeking the appearance of the Inspector General of Police, Ogbonna Onovo, and former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, over an alleged case of police brutality and illegal detention.

Justice U.P Kekemeke  equally acceded to a request by the plaintiff, asking to be allowed to serve all the court processes on both Onovo and Kwankwaso through substituted means.

Counsel to the plaintiff, Mrs. Pauline Abhulimen, had told Justice Kekemeke that several efforts made towards serving the court processes personally on the duo proved abortive.

The plaintiff in his suit, is praying the court to award N2 billion compensation cost against the respondents for violating his fundamental right, alleging that he was on August 5, mercilessly manhandled in his home at No 36 Lord Lugard street Asokoro, Abuja, by a horde of armed mobile policemen  attached as escorts to the former governor, adding that he was subsequently detained at Garki police station for no stated offence.

He told the court that the ex-governor, who he said was his neighbour, authorized his travail in the hands of his police escorts after he had refused to comply with his directive to stop rebuilding a fence which was pulled down by a strip of stream separating their two properties.

He insisted that he had duly secured approval from the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, to protect his property from erosion and that he subsequently commenced building of  a fence, with a view to channelling water flowing into his compound to a nearby canal.

The plaintiff further told the court that it was when he was inspecting materials worth N10 million he had procured for the work that the policemen unleashed by the former governor swooped on him.

He is urging the high court to go ahead and enforce his fundamental human right as enshrined in section 43 and 44(1) of the 1999 constitution and Article 14 of African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

He is equally praying the court to make a definite declaration that the invasion and his subsequent detention was unconstitutional, illegal and wrongful, while seeking an order restraining Kwankwaso, the Nigerian Police or their agents from further arresting, intimidating or torturing him.

The case was adjourned till August 25 for continuation of hearing.