3rd June, 2010
A commercial motorcyclist (Okada) in Lagos, Isaiah Adewale has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police over the N10 million damages awarded him by a Lagos High Court presided by Justice Deborah Oluwayemi in 2006.
Adewale who was allegedly brutalised and denied his rights by one PC Bello Amodu, acting on the instruction of Ojodu DPO, CSP Tajudeen Bakare, had dragged the duo and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police and the Inspector-General of Police before the Lagos High Court for damages.
The motorcyclist, who lives at 7, Eraton Close, Ologometa, Olori-Akute, Ogun State, was represented by his counsel, Mr. A.O. Aponmade.
Following the inability of the police to put up appearance, the court on 3 October, 2006, entered judgment in favour of Adewale.
In granting the N10 million damages prayed for by the Okada rider, Justice Oluwayemi stated: “It is hereby ordered as prayed since the respondents have no reply to the affidavit in support of the application. They are deemed to have admitted the facts therein.â€
Also pressing for Adewale’s N10 million award, a group, Know Your Rights International, explained that for the Nigeria Police to be seen as a law abiding organisation, they must pay the Okada rider without further delay.
The group’s president and media director, Comrade Olusegun Adeeko and Innocent Dimaku, respectively in a letter to the IGP through the CP “D†Department, Louis Edet House, Abuja pleaded that ”the only legal and reasonable action the police could take now is to settle Adewale’s claims in the interest of natural justice and truth.”