TheCable

A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the police to pay N12.5 million as damages to Peace Corps for unlawful invasion of the organisation’s headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.

At its sitting on Thursday, the court also ordered the police to unseal the headquarters of the corps.

In February, security operatives stormed the organisation’s headquarters and arrested Dickson Akoh, its commandant, alongside 48 officials.

Six staff of the organisation were said to have sustained injuries in the joint raid by operatives of the Nigerian army, Nigerian police force and Department of State Services (DSS).

The police had said “terrorist affiliates” infiltrated the organisation to destroy the existing peace in the country.

Two weeks after the raid, a criminal charge bordering on alleged conversion of N1.4 billion derived from extortion was filed against Akoh and the organisation’s trustees.

Akoh, who pleaded guilty to the charges, was later granted bail.

Delivering judgement on the fundamental human rights enforcement suit filed by Peace Corps, Akoh and 48 other applicants, Gabriel Kolawole, the presiding judge, ruled that the inversion was unlawful.

The judge ordered Ibrahim Idris, inspector general of police, and the Nigeria police force, to pay the organisation a sum of N12.5 million damages for the invasion.

He also ordered the police to unseal the organisation’s headquarters within seven days.