Court awards N52m damages in favour of IPOB lawyer Ejiofor

A Federal High Court, Awka, Anambra State, has awarded N52 million in favour of Barr Ifeanyi Ejiofor, lead counsel to the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The award was damages against security agencies, specifically the Nigerian Army and Nigeria Police Force, for invading his house and those of his clansmen, two years ago, during the burial of his brother in Oraifite.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba ruled that the security agents grossly violated his fundamental rights and consequently awarded N50 million against the Police, Army and other security agencies, as compensation for the gross violation of his rights.

Justice Dimgba also awarded N2 million as cost for the action still against the Police and Army, cumulatively N52 million.

RELIABLESOURCE.NG.COM reports that a Federal Capital Territory High Court, Gudu, Abuja, had on Thursday, September 23, 2021, awarded N50 million damages in favour of IPOB activist, Mrs. Ngozi Umeadi, for illegal arrest and detention.

Ejiofor in a statement issued on Friday titled: “Justice delayed is not always justice denied”, said his house was on December 2, 2019, invaded during the burial of his late elder brother, Rev. Chukwukpelum Louis Ejiofor, was invaded by a team of security agents comprising of the Nigerian Police and Army.

READ: JUST IN: Police to pay N50m, apologise to IPOB activist Ngozi Umeadi

According to him, four persons were killed in his compound, and all the houses within his ancestral home including his brothers’ houses and neighbouring houses were burnt down.

He said, “Justice Dimgba of Court No 2, Federal High Court Awka Judicial Division awarded me the sum of N50 million against the Police and Army and N2 million as cost for the action still against the Police and Army, cumulatively N52 million.

“I instituted a suit for the enforcement of my fundamental rights grossly violated by the said Security agents. The Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State on Thursday, December 2, 2021 delivered a well-considered judgment in my favour.

“The judgment may have been delayed, but the fact that the Court found that my rights were grossly infringed upon and condemnable, will go a long way to assuage the pains and trauma. I have been passing through over the past two years, on account of that terrible and heart-wrenching experience.”