Court awards N400m against Police, AGF for extrajudicial killing of four Igbo traders in Lagos

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) have been ordered by Justice Olufunke Sule-Amzat of a Lagos High Court, sitting in Yaba, to pay N400 million as compensation to the families of four Ladipo market traders, who were extra-judicially killed by police officers in 2001.

Recall that the four Igbo men who are traders at the Ladipo International Auto Spare parts market, namely Anthony Ezenwafor, Chukwuemeka Ezeofor, Izuchukwu Ezeama, and Aloysius Osigwe, were extra-judicially killed by the police attached to Surulere Division on the 21st of July, 2001.

Guardian reported that on the delivery of the judgment in the fundamental human rights suit filed for the deceased by rights activists Remigus Ezenwane, Ifeanyi Okoye, Akaraka Chinwe Ezeonara and Chris Okpara, the police were ordered by the judge to pay the family of the deceased people.

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However, the Lagos State government who is the third respondent in the suit was exonerated by Justice Sule-Amzat through the Attorney General of Lagos from the killing.

Aside the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the court also found former Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Marvelous Akpoyibo (rtd) culpable.

In her judgement, the judge held that the fundamental liberties of the traders, who hailed from Ekwulobia in Anambra State, including dignity of the human person and their rights to life, were clearly breached by the police officers, as they were executed despite not being sentenced by any court of law or resisting arrest in any form.

She further stated that the police are meant to investigate crimes and not to murder citizens.