The Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos on Monday ordered the Nigerian Army to pay the sum of N5m as damage to one Salmanu Bature-Muhammad over “flagrant violations of his fundamental human rights”.
Justice Daniel Longji of Court 5 gave the order while delivering a judgement pursuant to an application no. PLA/J289/2019, instituted by Mr. Bature-Muhammad, through his Counsel, Akib Idris.

The plaintiff had sued the Army officer over his unlawful arrest and subsequent detention by a Military officer serving under Operation Save Haven, OPSH, at Kura Falls in Barkin Ladi local government area of the state.

Mr. Bature-Muhammad’s counsel, had told the court that the 4th respondent had unlawfully and illegally arrested the applicant twice and further detained him for several days in an unhygienic place, for an alleged offence of cattle rustling by the applicant’s elder son, Kabiru Bature.

Consequently, Justice Longji, in his judgement, declared that, “the respondents have no right to detained and investigate the applicant, in Nigerian laws it is not allowed”.

Justice Longji further declared and ordered that the military should not re-arrest, detain or harass the applicant.

“For the respondent to arrest and detain the applicant over an alleged offence committed by someone, it is not only illegal but it is barbaric,” he ordered.

Mr Longji, therefore, ordered the military to pay the sum of N5million as damage to Mr. Bature-Muhammad