Federal High Court Orders Police To Pay a Family ₦100million Over Death Of Detainee

Late Patricia Onyeabo and daughter, Amaka

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos state, south west of Nigeria, today ordered the Nigerian Police Force to pay ₦100 million compensation to the family of a female lawyer Patricia Onyeabo who died in Police custody due to lack of medical care.

The judgement of the court was sequel to the ₦1billion suit filed by Patricia’s daughter, Miss Amaka Onyeabo, also a lawyer, against the Inspector-General of Police, (IGP). Late Mrs. Onyeabo, before her death on 16 May 16 2014, was the Legal Adviser/Secretary to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).

Joined as co- respondents in the suit were the Lagos state Commissioner of Police and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Nigerian Railway Corporation headquarters.

Amaka in an affidavit filed by her Lawyer, Chief Anthony Idigbe, SAN asked for declarations that the unsubstantiated indictment in a letter, leading to the harassment, detention, intimidation, humiliation and restriction of movement of her late mother since April 25, 2014, until her death on May 16, 2014, by the respondents was frivolous, vindictive, wicked, smacked of gross impunity, and was unlawful, unconstitutional and a breach of the fundamental rights of the deceased.