Court orders police to pay N15m to families of 3 IMN members

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, awarded the sum of N15 million against the Nigerian police over the alleged killings of three members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN).

Justice Taiwo Taiwo, in his judgment, also ordered the National Hospital, Abuja, to immediately release the three corpses in its morgue.

Justice Taiwo while granting Reliefs A and C of the applicants, said each of the applicants must be paid a sum of N5 million as compensation for the killings.

The judge, however, did not grant the prayer that the Nigerian police should tender an apology in two national newspapers.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the the Inspector General of Police is the 1st respondent while the medical directors of National Hospital, Abuja, and Asokoro District Hospital are both 2nd respondent in the four separate charges.

Suleiman Shehu, Mahdi Musa, Bilyaminu Abubakar Faska and Askari Hassan were alleged to have been killed by agents of the first respondent on July 22, 2019 while on a peaceful protest to demand for the freedom of their Islamic Leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife, at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja.

While the bodies of Suleiman Shehu, Mahdi Musa and Bilyaminu Abubakar Faska were alleged to have been deposited at National Hospital, Abuja, the body of Askari Hassan was alleged to have been kept in Asokoro District Hospital.

The applicants, who are said to be brothers of the deceased in the suit, are Ibrahim Abdullahi, Ahmad Musa, Yusuf Faska and Said Haruna respectively.

However, throughout the duration of the court proceedings, the Nigerian police neither filed a counter affidavit nor send a lawyer for representation.