Federal High Court Orders DSS To Pay Saraki’s Aide N20m – See Why

Yesterday, A Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Department of State Service ( DSS), the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Simon Da­lung, to pay the sum of N20 million to the Special Assistant to the Senate President on Youth Matters, Mr Ikenga Imo Ugo­chinyere, as penalty for his illegal arrest and de­tention.

The court presided over by Justice J. Tsoho also ordered the DSS and the minister to ten­der unreserved apolo­gies to the youth leader in two national dailies for what he described as unconstitutional de­tention.
The ruling was in pursuant of Section 34, 35(1) 36 , 40 of the 1999 constitution. The president of the Na­tional Youth Council of Nigeria NYCN had in a case FHC (ABJ) (CS) 342/2016 insisted that his arrest and deten­tion by DSS for about a month was a violation of his fundamental hu­man right.
Meanwhile, the youth has alleged fresh plot by the DSS to rearrest him and charge him with a trump up of unavail­able offence agains him.
But the court in a ruling, however, barred the DSS or similar from arresting or detaining him.
The Judge declared the arrest and detention of Ikenga as unlawful, unconstitutional, op­pressive, malicious and a gross violation of his freedom of movements.