An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, on Friday, granted a N20 billion aggravated damages to the Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.
Mr Igboho had dragged the Federal Government and the Department of State Services (DSS) to court over invasion of his Ibadan residence.
The sitting started around 9am after it’s adjournment by Justice Ladiran Akintola of Oyo State High court.
Igboho is being held by the Benin Republic authorities for alleged offences of faking official documents, illegal entry, among others.
Igboho’s counsel, Mr Yomi Aliyu, SAN had headed to the court to challenge DSS raids on Igboho’s residence located at Soka area, Ibadan, Oyo State capital, at about 1:30am on July 1, 2021.
Igboho had asked the court to compel the respondents to jointly pay him the sum ₦500 million as special damages for the damage done to his house and his car and another ₦500 billion as exemplary and aggravated damages for breaching his fundamental rights with the malicious invasion.
He also sought an order directing the Federal Government and the other respondents to tender a public apology in two national dailies and return all the items seized from the house which include: “N2m cash, one thousand Euros, travel documents among others.”
On August 4, the Ibadan court had earlier restrained the DSS and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) from arresting and blocking the account of Igboho.
Justice Ladiran Akintola gave the order then after listening to the motion filed by Igboho’s counsel, Mr Yomi Aliyu, SAN.
Aliyu had moved the motion exparte, urging the court to grant his application.
Other respondents in the suit are the Director of State Services, Oyo State and the AGF.
Delivering his ruling, Akintola said that he was satisfied with explanation provided by the applicant’s counsel, evidencing the urgent need to grant the application.
The judge ordered and restrained the respondents, their agents or any other security agents acting on their behalf from killing, arresting, detaining or harassing Igboho.
Akintola also restrained the respondents from interfering with the applicant’s fundamental rights to life, personal liberty, freedom of movement and enjoyment of his property without fear of invasion of his home.
The judge further ordered the respondents from blocking the account of the applicant in any bank or placing no debit on it and to lift the same.
