A Federal High Court sitting in Asaba, Delta State, has asked the Department of State Services to tender an unreserved apology to the son of the South-South Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Mr Tareri Avwomakpa, over his illegal arrest by DSS operatives in February.
Justice T.B. Adegoke gave the ruling on Tuesday in a suit filed by Tareri, a Warri-based legal practitioner against the DG of Department of State Services and the Delta State Director, DSS, following his arrest and detention over a message calling for support for the General Overseer, Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleman.
Operatives of DSS had in February arrested and detained Tareri over an alleged message sent via a social media platform, WhatsApp, wherein he called on Christians in the country to support and accompany Suleman to honour the invitation by the DSS at its head office in Abuja.
Justice Adegoke while delivering his ruling on the case, held that Tareri ‘s arrest was unlawful and unconstitutional even as he awarded N250,000 damages against the DSS director-general and the Delta state director of the security agency.
According to the judgment, the court ordered DSS authorities to write a formal letter of apology to the claimant for a breach of his constitutional human rights.
Tareri dedicated the judgment to Nigerians who had been killed, maimed and all those “currently suffering oppression for being Christians across the country”.
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