Dismissed Police Inspector Sues For N500 Million Over 584-Day Detention Without Trial

A dismissed police inspector, Hycenth Oboh, has filed a lawsuit against the Inspector General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force, the Police Service Commission, and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, seeking N500 million in compensation for his alleged illegal detention for 584 days without trial.

According to court documents obtained by SaharaReporters, Oboh has been held at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Port Harcourt since August 2024. He asserts that his detention is unlawful, as it has been carried out without a court order, formal charges, or arraignment.

The detention is connected to a fatal shooting incident on June 18, 2024, at the Eberi-Omuma Local Government Council Secretariat in Rivers State, which resulted in the deaths of a police officer, Inspector David Mgbada, and a civilian security operative, Samuel Nwigwe.

Notably, Oboh claims he was discharged and acquitted during an internal police disciplinary process regarding the incident, yet his detention has continued.

The suit, filed at the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt, argues that the police have grossly violated Oboh’s constitutional rights to personal liberty, dignity, and a fair hearing. He is seeking a court declaration that his indefinite detention is illegal, an order for his immediate release, and a perpetual injunction barring the police from re-arresting him over the same allegations.

In his supporting affidavit, Oboh emphasized that his detention far exceeds any lawful period for investigation, citing Supreme Court precedents that forbid indefinite detention. He also alleged political interference in his case and described enduring inhuman treatment, including being denied access to family, lawyers, and medical care.

The Nigeria Police Force has yet to publicly respond to the allegations. The case is pending at the Port Harcourt Judicial Division of the Rivers State High Court.