Pat Stevens/
A Federal High Court in Asaba today awarded N10m in damages against the Department of State Services (DSS) for illegally detaining a trader, Anthony Okolie, for 10 weeks without charge over allegations of using a sim card that used to belong to President Muhammadu Buhari’s daughter, Hanan.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, however, struck out the prayer requesting the President’s daughter, and mobile telecoms company, MTN, to pay N500m.
In a suit filed on his behalf by human rights lawyer, Tope Akinyode, the applicant sued the President’s daughter as well as the DSS and MTN for N500m jointly and separately.
The suit, with number FHC/ASB/CS/3/2020, sought an order to “compel the respondents (DSS, Hanan and MTN) jointly or severally to pay the applicant the sum of N500, 000, 000 only as general and aggravated damages for the gross and unlawful violation of the applicant’s right to acquire moveable properties, freedom of movement and self dignity.”
The 33-year-old man said in a supporting affidavit that he was arrested on July 19, 2019 in Asaba, Delta State for using a telephone line that was previously owned by Hanan.
According to him, he remained in custody, bound by handcuffs till September 22, 2019 as the DSS waited for Hanan, who was schooling in the United Kingdom, to come and clear him but she never did.
Okolie also attached the receipt he was issued after purchasing the SIM card as well as the SIM certificate.
During the hearing, Akinyode asked Justice Dimgba to determine if Okolie’s rights had been breached and if the DSS had the right to detain a private citizen for 10 weeks without charge.
The President’s daughter, through her lawyer, M.E Sheriff, asked the court not to grant Okolie’s reliefs, insisting that she had never met the applicant before and he should instead channel his anger towards the DSS that detained him.
The DSS in a counter-affidavit said the Presidency ordered the investigation of Okolie, adding that the sensitivity of the case was what led to Okolie’s prolonged detention.
The DSS lawyer E.E Daubry, who is the Principal Staff Officer, Legal Services, DSS, said the agency decided to detain Okolie without a court order because of the sensitivity of the case.
The agency accused Okolie of using Hanan’s SIM card to solicit money from unsuspecting members of the public, an allegation the applicant denied.
In a tweet to celebrate the court ruling, Akinyode wrote, “I’ve been able to persuade the Federal High Court to award N10 Million Naira Sum Agaisnt SSS For the 10 Weeks Detention of Anthony Okolie over an MTN SIM Card Once Used by the daughter of President Buhari, Hanan.”