Police refuses to pay N12m compensation to blind man

Police refuses to pay N12m compensation to blind man Lawyer tells Judicial Panel in Delta State

Iexclusive News Nigeria reports that Lawyer, Bernard Jamaho on Monday said the Police has refused to pay the 12 million naira compensation awarded to a blind man, Simon Arigbe by a competent court of law in Delta State

Arigbe was badly brutalized by policemen at the Express junction in Ovwian, Udu Local Government Area of Delta State in 2010.

This online news medium gathered that the legal practitioner who is a cousin to the blind man disclosed this to newsmen at the public hearing held by the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police brutality and Extra-Judicial Killings in Delta State.

He said the Policemen stationed by the express junction in Ovwian accosted his Cousin as a taxi driver to ask him for some money.

According to the lawyer, “He objected saying he had given them before and cannot give another one. “This led to an altercation and the altercation led to them beating him. In the process, he got blind.

“A human right lawyer, Oghenejabor Ikimi took the matter up, went to High Court, got a judgment and the police had to go to Court again to set aside the judgment which the Court refused the application in 2010.

“Since then, every application to the Police Service Commission, PSC, to the Police, to the Government to make sure that his money, the twelve million naira awarded against the Police is paid has proved abortive. Every effort made has not worked.”

While noting that it is the practice of bailiff and Policemen to enforce judgments on matters that concerns citizens of the Country, Mr. Jamaho pointed out that when judgments are made against the Police, it is difficult to enforce such judgments.”It is an anomaly that needs to be corrected.”

Mr. Jamaho said the blind man and his family are demanding for a different body to enforce the judgement on the matter.

“The panel has taken our petition. The Police did not oppose and the panel has reserved recommendation to the State Government.”