The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, June 29, awarded the sum of N15 million against the Nigerian police over the alleged killings of three members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) also known as Shiites.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo, in his judgment, also ordered the National Hospital, Abuja, to immediately released the three corpses in its morgue.
Justice Taiwo while granting Reliefs A and C of the applicants; said each of the applicants must be paid a sum of N5 million as compensation for the killings.
The judge, however, did not grant the prayer that the Nigerian police should tender an apology in two national newspapers.
It was reported that the Inspector General of Police is the 1st respondent while the medical directors of National Hospital, Abuja, and Asokoro District Hospital are both 2nd respondents in the four separate charges.
Shiites, Suleiman Shehu, Mahdi Musa, Bilyaminu Abubakar Faska and Askari Hassan were alleged to have been killed by agents of the first respondent on July 22, 2019; while on a peaceful protest to demand the freedom of their Islamic Leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife, at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja.
While the bodies of Suleiman Shehu, Mahdi Musa, and Bilyaminu Abubakar Faska were alleged to have been deposited at National Hospital, Abuja, the body of Askari Hassan was alleged to have been kept in Asokoro District Hospital.
The Shiites applicants, who are said to be brothers of the deceased in the suit, are Ibrahim Abdullahi, Ahmad Musa, Yusuf Faska, and Said Haruna respectively.
However, throughout the duration of the court proceedings, the Nigerian police neither filed a counter-affidavit nor send a lawyer for representation.
Meanwhile, the Shiites, on Friday, June 26, took to the streets of Kaduna for the umpteenth time in order to protest the continued detention of their leader; Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, by the federal government of Nigeria.
Sheikh Aliyu Tirmizi, head of the protesting Shiites; who spoke to newsmen during the demonstrations, demanded an unconditional release of their leader who according to him was unjustly detained.
He further lamented that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has repeatedly infringed upon the rights of Sheikh Zakzaky; demanding that he be released for proper medical attention.
The Shiites spokesman said; “In the aftermath of Zaria genocide executed by the Nigerian military in December 2015 we have been calling on all citizens to uphold the dictum that injustice to one is injustice to all, but to no avail.
“Most people, after the gross flagrant abuse of power by the military on Sheikh Zakzaky and his followers couldn’t express their condemnation; choosing to remain silent since the military excesses didn’t affect them directly,” he said.
