Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of the FCT Hight Court, has asked the Nigeria Police Force to pay N5 million compensation to 10 youths arrested in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The youths were alleged to have been involved in a riot over the the traditional Igwe stool in 2009 in which hundreds of houses were burnt by irate youths in the community.
A candidate to the stool, Emeka Nnaji was also killed in the riot.
They were arrested and detained at the Force Headquarters Abuja since June.
Adeniyi had asked the police to produce the accused persons, following reports that the youths were subjected to torture and inhuman treatment in the cell.
The orders were given to the police on Aug. 19 and Aug. 20 but the police refused to comply.
He said for the police to continue detaining the youths longer than was stipulated before prosecuting them, was wrong.
In his ruling on Wednesday, Adeniyi ordered the police to pay N500,000 to each of the ten youths for unlawful detention and breach of their human rights.
Their continued detention at the force CID without arraigning them before a court, constitutes a violation of their human rights and rights to justice.
This is word for the wise. He that is in continuous defiance of the court order should not run to the same court to ask for cover,'' he said.
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