An Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Etinan has ordered the state Commissioner of Police, and one Inspector Gospel Archibong of the Police Command to pay N2 million as damages for the breach of fundamental rights of a murder suspect, Aniekan Aaron.
Trial judge, Justice Ezekiel Enang, gave the order yesterday in the enforcement of fundamental rights application suit by the accused.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Enang said the N2 million was to be paid jointly or severally by the Commissioner of Police and Inspector Godswill Archibong (third and fourth respondents) in addition to N50,000 as a cost of action against them.
The court also held that the respondents breached the applicant’s fundamental rights when they caused him to sleep on a cold bare floor for a period of three months while in Police detention.
The court equally held that an accused person is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved, irrespective of the seriousness of the offence leveled against a suspect.
According to the court, “Every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person and no person shall be subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment.
“By causing the applicant to sleep on cold bare floor from 18 April 2021, to 6 July 2021, the third and fourth respondents subjected the applicant to inhuman and degrading treatment.
“A suspect or accused person is entitled to the rights of dignity of his human person and he is not to be subjected to inhuman treatment, such as the one meted to the applicant by being made to sleep on a cold bare floor for a period of three months”.
