Court Orders El-Rufai, Police To Pay Chocolate City Boss, Maikori N40m
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Friday, ordered the governor of Kaduna state, Nasir el-Rufai, and the police to pay the President of Chocolate City Group, Audu Maikori the sum of N40m.
The money was awarded as compensation for the unlawful arrest and detention of Maikori between February 17 and 18, 2017 and again March 10 and 13, 2017.
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Justice John Tsoho delivered the judgement following a fundamental human rights enforcement suit filed by Maikori on May 5, 2017.
The judge also directed the respondents to pay the sum of N1,430 to the applicant as the cost of instituting the suit.
He however noted that his judgement was not meant to interfere with the ongoing trial of Maikori in Kaduna.
The judge held that Maikori’s arrest in Lagos was unlawful. The police failed to register the arrest warrant obtained from a magistrates’ court in Kaduna in any court in Lagos where it effected the arrest.
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He ruled, “The arrest was improper, irregular and wrongful.
“By necessary implication, the arrest was unlawful despite being released after 24 hours.”
Maikori was arrested in Lagos on February 17, on allegations of posting “inciting” tweets alleging the killing of some Southern Kaduna students by Fulani herdsmen.
