A Bayelsa State High Court sitting in Yenagoa on Monday ordered the Department of State Security (DSS) to pay N300 million in damages for the illegal arrest and detention of youth activist, Collins Opumie for over two years.
Opumie had approached the court in 2022 seeking redress and demanding N9 billion in damages under Suit number YHC/324/2022 over his prolonged detention, which followed a petition by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).
In his ruling, the presiding judge, Ebiyon Charlie, declared that the claimant was forcefully imprisoned and awarded N300 million as compensation.
The judge condemned the DSS for the illegal actions taken against Opumie, emphasizing the need for accountability in the enforcement of the law.
Reacting to the judgment, Opumie expressed satisfaction with the outcome, despite not receiving the full amount sought in damages.
“I am happy even when all our expectations were not met.
I thank all those who stood by me, the traditional rulers and my lawyer, for standing for the truth,” he said.
In his statement of claims, Opumie recounted his ordeal, accusing the DSS in Yenagoa of abducting him in a Gestapo-style operation at the behest of NAOC.
He described being physically and mentally tortured, tied up, thrown into the boot of a vehicle, and transported to Abuja without his family’s knowledge and without access to medical care.
Opumie had prayed the court to declare his arrest, torture, and subsequent detention without proper food, medical attention, and access to family members as illegal.
He further sought an injunction restraining the DSS and any other parties from further harassment or attempts to arrest and detain him.
