A Federal High Court sitting in Calabar has awarded ₦100 million in damages against the Nigeria Police Force and other respondents over the torture and killing of 22-year-old Onyekachi Mba.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu delivered the judgment in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the deceased’s mother, Victoria Mba, through her counsel, Roland Ndubuka.
The case arose from an incident on August 1, 2025, when Mba was allegedly assaulted and shot by police officers attached to the Cross River State Government House in Calabar.
According to court records, the deceased had reportedly gone to the Government House to deliver what he described as a message from God to Governor Bassey Otu when he was confronted by security personnel.
He was allegedly beaten and shot before being rushed to the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital in Calabar, where he later died from his injuries.
The suit, filed on October 10, 2025, sought the enforcement of the deceased’s fundamental rights as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution, including his rights to personal liberty, human dignity and freedom of movement.
In her judgment, Justice Ojukwu held that the torture, assault and killing of the young man were unlawful, unjustifiable and amounted to a gross violation of his constitutional rights.
The court further described the actions of the officers involved as an abuse of power and executive recklessness.
Consequently, Justice Ojukwu awarded ₦100 million in damages against the respondents, ruling that the compensation could be paid jointly or individually.
The respondents in the suit include the Nigeria Police Force, the Police Service Commission, the Commissioner of Police in Cross River State, Assistant Superintendent of Police Victor Edet and Superintendent of Police Emmanuel Dickson, the Chief Security Officer at the Cross River State Government House.
