Court to deliver judgment in N350m damages suit April 27
A Federal High Court, Benin on Wednesday fixed April 27 for judgment in a suit filed by Ms. Odegua Okojie, a single mother, demanding N350 million from the Department of State Services (DSS) and a Lebannese businessman over alleged illegal detention.
Joined in the suit are the director-general of the DSS, director, Edo state command of the DSS and a Lebanese businessman, Charles Makhoul.
Justice M.G. Umar fixed the date after parties in the suit adopted their final written addresses.
Earlier, counsel to the applicant, T.A. Akahomen, in adopting his address, urged the court to order the respondents to pay his client N300 million in damages over the violation of her fundamental rights.
He also prayed the court to award his client N50 million as exemplary damages for the unlawful and unwarranted infraction on her rights.
Replying, counsel to the DSS, Jospeh Besong and the counsel to the second and third respondent’s Mrs. O. A. Odigie, urged the court to discountenance the application of the applicant for lacking in merit.
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Odegua alleged that the DSS and the Lebanese businessman illegally detained her for nine days, claiming that during the detention, she was denied access to her lawyer and family members, while her telephone was seized.
The applicant further alleged that she was first taken into DSS facility in Benin before being whisked to Abuja without her knowing the offence she committed.
She alleged that she was taken into custody at night and her two-year-old daughter was agitated, adding that the illegal detention from July 9 – 16, 2019, was not only an infringement of her fundamental human rights, but was also unlawful and unconstitutional.
