The Federal High Court of Nigeria has declared the arrest and subsequent killing of Ja’afar Muhammad by the Nigeria Police in 2019 as illegal, marking a gross violation of his fundamental rights.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the ruling, delivered by Justice Z. B. Abubakar of the Abuja Division, highlights the clear infringement of Muhammad’s rights as guaranteed by Section 33 (1) 35 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
The court case, brought forward by Naziru Isah Abdullahi under suit number FHC/ABJ/CD/409/2020, shed light on the harrowing events surrounding Muhammad’s arrest and tragic demise.
Justice Abubakar affirmed that the evidence presented by Naziru Isah provided compelling proof that Ja’afar Muhammad was shot and sustained injuries while peacefully participating in a ‘Free Zakzaky’ protest at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja on July 22, 2019.
This newspaper reports that following the shooting, Ja’afar was rushed to Gwagwalada Teaching Hospital for medical treatment. Shockingly, the police forcibly removed him from the hospital and took him to the SARS Cell in Abattoir, Garki, Abuja.
During his time in police custody, Ja’afar Muhammad was reportedly denied necessary medical attention, leading to his untimely death on July 24, 2019.
Justice Abubakar also emphasised that the evidence conclusively established that following Ja’afar Muhammad’s passing, his body was placed at Asokoro District Hospital in Abuja.
As a result, the court issued an order instructing the Inspector General of Police and the Medical Director of Asokoto District Hospital to release Ja’afar Muhammad’s remains to his family for immediate burial in accordance with Islamic rites.
Furthermore, the court directed the Inspector General of Police to compensate the applicant, Naziru Isah, with N100,000,000.00 (One Hundred Million Naira) as restitution for the unlawful detention and killing of Ja’afar Muhammad.
