Delta State High Court Awards N300 Million Against Police for Lawyer’s Unlawful Detention

A High Court in Ozoro, Delta State, has ordered the Nigeria Police Force to pay N300 million in damages for the wrongful arrest and detention of a legal practitioner, Barrister Itedjere Jude.

In a judgment delivered on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, Justice E.O. Odebala ruled that the police actions constituted a gross violation of the lawyer’s fundamental rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement, and human dignity.

The case stemmed from an incident in late September 2025, when Jude was arrested and held at the Kwale Police Station. He subsequently filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the involved officers, the Commissioner of Police in Delta State, the Inspector-General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Police Service Commission.

Justice Odebala strongly criticized the police’s conduct, noting that they failed to file any counter-affidavit to challenge the applicant’s facts, which the court interpreted as an acceptance of the allegations. The judge also dismissed last-minute applications by the respondents to stop the judgment as “brigandage and lawlessness.”

In his ruling, the judge declared that the lawyer committed no offense to warrant his arrest and detention. He subsequently struck out a related criminal charge (Suit No MK/1C/2025) filed against Jude.

Beyond the N300 million compensation, the court awarded an additional N10 million for litigation costs and issued a perpetual injunction restraining the police from further harassing, intimidating, or threatening to arrest the applicant in connection to the matter.

The judgment reinforces judicial oversight of law enforcement conduct and highlights the legal recourse available to citizens whose fundamental rights are infringed.