…says such judgments ll’ reduce police brutality

By Gabriel Ewepu

A nonprofit making organisation, One Love Foundation, OLF, Wednesday, hailed a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Tuesday for awarding N5 million as damages to an Uber driver, Adedotun Clement, against the Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Agency and the Nigeria Police Force for alleged assault and humiliation during the 1st anniversary of the #EndSARS protest on October 20, 2021 at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos State.

Speaking with Vanguard, the Founder and President, OLF, Chief Patrick Eholor, said the judgment was a landmark judgment and gives hope to downtrodden Nigerians to get justice at a court of competent jurisdiction.

It will be recalled that Clement was seriously manhandled and humiliated after he ran away along with his passenger and abandoned his car he used to convey the passenger from Lagos Island to Lagos Mainland for fear of been attacked when the police fired teargas to disperse the crowd who were protesting at Lekki Tollgate on the day of the anniversary.

Eholor said: “The court did well and it is very commendable. I will say yes, after all the judgment is commendable and a welcome development.”

Meanwhile, he called on the judiciary to continue with such judgments in order to reduce police brutality and others.

“If only it will continue like this then there will be a lesser scenario of police brutality.”

However, he pointed out that, “The court is the common hope of the last man but what happens when it becomes compromised by those at the top, it is quite unfortunate that the common man in Nigeria can no longer rely on court to seek redress that is why the common man would prefer to use violent means to get judgment, there are more unnecessary delayed cases awaiting judgment than cases that has to seek redress.”

He also called on Nigerians to have enough evidence before seeking redress against security agencies who have allegedly brutalized citizens.

He added that citizens should not feel intimidated and keep silent rather should take their grievances to court to get justice.

“By advice is that they (Nigerians) should gather enough evidence and reach out to human rights activists that will further present their case to the court for justice, it is of no use to keep silent over police or whoever over brutality, it is when justice is served in the right manner that a better Nigeria judicial system begins to evolve.

“We should keep hope alive and always have enough evidence before going to court”, he said.

For the Courts, he (Eholor) said, “The court should always ensure that they deliver speedy judgment and ensure that they are not compromised by anyone, according to the symbol of the judiciary; The law is blind therefore it can punish anyone (that is both the common man and those at the realm of affairs)

“Equal judgment is melted out to all, poor man prison shouldn’t be different from that of rich man, and finally, no one is above the law.”