A high court in Ibadan has ordered the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to pay N27 million in damages to Stanley Amarachi Nnabuo and Boluwatife John Sanya, two lawyers assaulted by officers of the agency on Tuesday.

Honourable Justice Owolabi passed judgment in two fundamental right enforcement suits the lawyers filed against the NSCDC, its commandant general and four others.

The Ibadan chapter of the Young Lawyers’ Forum of the Nigerian Bar Association released a statement with details of the suit.

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“Esteemed colleagues, you will recall that sometime in October 2022, Boluwatife John Sanya and Stanley Amarachi Nnabuo visited the state headquarters of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps to secure the release of one Mr. Banjo who was detained in the custody of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps,” the statement read in part.

“The basis of Mr. Banjo’s unlawful detention for over 24 hours was a supposed complaint made by his wife (who is an officer of the NSCDC) to her superiors that Mr. Banjo did not release the child of the marriage to her when he ought to.

“The two young lawyers visited the NSCDC office in Ibadan to secure the release of Mr. Banjo but they were beaten blue-black by officers of the NSCDC.

“Honourable Justice Owolabi sitting in High Court 12, in a well detailed judgment delivered today granted the sum of twenty-seven million naira collectively in the two cases and ordered the NSDC to tender a public apology to Mr. Nnabuo.”

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According to the forum, the harassment of young lawyers by law enforcement agencies has become a norm, and the assault on Nnabuo and Sanya was just one of many similar cases across Nigeria.

The Young Lawyers’ Forum, Ibadan branch, stated its intention to continue litigating harassment of lawyers by law enforcement agencies.