A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday, ordered the Nigeria Police to pay N12.5 million compensation to Peace Corps of Nigeria for unlawful arrest and detention of officials of the organisation.
The ruling Judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole also ordered the police to re-open the headquarters office of the Peace Corps of Nigeria which was shut down since February 28.
The judge held that the Police and the other security agents involved in the seal of the Peace Corps premises acted outside their statutory powers.
Kolawale said that the Police and other security agents had statutory powers to make arrest and detain people, but that such powers must be exercised within the ambits of the law.
He held that the Police failed to establish that the Peace Corps officials committed a crime before they arrested and detained them.
The judge further said that the allegations by the Police and other respondents that the Peace Corps was engaging in military and paramilitary training was not sufficiently established before him to justify their unlawful action.
According to the judge, the allegation of extortion of money and the alleged threat to national security made against the Peace Corps officials was not backed with any document from the victims.
The judge held that the Peace Corps, as a lawfully registered organisation, was entitled to own movable and immovable property and that under no circumstance should any security agent deny the corps this right.
He therefore ordered the Police to pay N12.5 million to the Commandant and 49 other officials of Peace Corps in order to appease them for the harassment and intimidation they suffered when they were unlawfully arrested and detained.
The judge also ordered that no attempt should be made by any of the respondents to frustrate officials of the Peace Corps from accessing the building to carry out their duties.
The Peace Corps had in March 2017, shortly after the inavsion of their Abuja head office by the Police, instisuted the suit against the Police, the Inspector-General of Police and the National Security Adviser. Also joined in the suit were the Department of State Security Services and its Director-General and the Attorney-General of the Federation.