Court Orders Release of Zakka Dung, Asks FG, OPSH to Pay N5m Damages

By Pam Moses

The Plateau State High Court has ordered the Federal Government and the Operation Safe Haven to release Zakka Dung and pay him the sum of N5 million for violation of his Fundamental Hunman Rights.

The Applicants, Zakka Dung and Joel Sunday were arrested on the 24th January, 2019 by officers and men of Operation Safe Haven, Plateau State while playing football at Lome Football Field, Sabon Barki, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The Applicants sued the Federal Government, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Chief of Defence Staff and Major General Augustine Chris Agundu, the Commander Operation Safe Haven Jos plateau State through their Counsel Mr. Gyang Zi in suit No: PlD/J/154m2/2019

Delivering the Judgement on Friday, the presiding Judge, Hon. Justice Simon Gang order the Federal Government and the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) to released Zaka Dung who is still in detention with immediate effect.

Justice Gang said, “The respondents refused to obey the Court order and refused to release the applicants on bail as directed by the court.

“I, therefore granted all the reliefs sought by the Applicants and order the Respondents to pay the Applicants the sum of N 5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira) only as general damages/compensation for the unlawful arrest, assault, torture, and detention of the Applicants”.

Meanwhile, the High Court No: 5 of Plateau State presided over by Hon. Justice D.D. Lonji had in a ruling delivered on Tuesday the 5th day of March, 2019, earlier granted Bail to the Applicants.

However, despite the said Court order granting bail to the Applicants, the Respondents only partially obey the order of Court after a long time by releasing only the 2nd Applicant but have defiantly refused the 1st Applicant, Zakka Dung till date.

The 2nd Applicant who has been released said that they were subjected to serious beating as a result of which they sustained injuries following their arrest.

The presiding Judge, Justice Simon Gang slammed the Federal Government and the other Respondents over penchant disobedience of 2 Court Orders, one for the release of the Applicants on bail given by Hon. Justice D.D. Longji and the other for the production of the Applicants in Court given by the presiding Judge, Hon. Justice S.P. Gang.

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Court Orders Release of Zakka Dung, Asks FG, OPSH to Pay N5m Damages