Court Orders NDLEA To Pay N25m Damages To Baba Suwe

A Lagos High Court in Ikeja, yesterday directed the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to pay N25m damages to a popular Nollywood actor, Mr Babatunde Omidina (a.k.a Baba Suwe) for an unlawful arrest , detention and the violation of his fundamental human rights. 

In her judgment in an enforcement of fundamental human rights suit by Omidina, Justice Yetunde Idowu also ordered the NDLEA to apologise to the actor conspicuously on pages of two widely read national newspapers.

The judge, who upheld the argument of the lawyer to Omidina, Mr. Bamidele Aturu, also held that the NDLEA had violated Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution by holding him for nine days before approaching the Federal High Court for an ex-parte order to further keep the actor in detention.

According to the judge, the NDLEA has violated the provisions Articles 4, 5 and 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Justice Idowu, who said that the NDLEA gave misleading information to the Federal High Court, held that Section 34(4) of the 1999 Constitution stipulated that a person arrested must be brought to court within reasonable time.

The trial judge held that it was wrong for the NDLEA to keep holding Baba Suwe in detention while looking for evidence to get him convicted.

She said, “A man cannot be condemned in anticipation of guilt. The act of the NDLEA amounts to a flagrant abuse and infringement of fundamental human right.

“If we can treat a citizen of this country in this manner, what image are we projecting to the world?”

The judge further held that the actor deserve the N25million compensation since his reputation had been damaged by his ordeal in the NDLEA custody.

She later directed lawyers to the parties to agree on what newspapers the apology should be published in, saying that the apology must be published not later than 21 days.

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