A Nasarawa State High Court on Thursday ordered a former House of Representatives member representing Lafia/Obi federal constituency, Dr Joseph Kigbu and the Police in Bauchi, to pay N5 million in damages to two doctors.
The plaintiffs are seeking the enforcement of their fundamental rights following their alleged illegal arrest and detention at the instance of Kigbu.
Also joined in the suits were Dotma/ZK Health Konsult Ltd and Musa Magaji.
Delivering her Judgment, Justice Rose Oseji, held that the court has jurisdiction to entertain the case contrary to the argument by the respondents, as the arrest was made in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The Judge held that based on the evidence before the court, the arrest and detention of the applicants for four days was illegal as the property they were accused of taking were later found in the company.
NAN reports that the doctors claimed that they were engaged on March 2, 2018, by Kigbu and his company to work on a World Bank project in Bauchi state for three years.
They said that Kigbu’s company secured seven million dollars (over N2.5bn) World Bank contract using the plaintiffs’ certificates as required by the World Bank.
They said instead of paying them for the period they worked, Kigbu accused them of stealing furniture that was not provided in the office.
They said they were eventually arrested in Lafia, Nasarawa State on July 6, and detained for four days in Bauchi, where they were compelled to sign an undertaking to pay N450,000 to Kigbu.
