The Court of Appeal has fined the Department of State Services N5 million for detaining a 12-year-old boy, Stephen Egwuatu.
The counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said this in a statement he issued to newsmen on Thursday.
Ejiofor said the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu presided over by Justice Abdul-Azeez Waziri has upheld the judgment of the Enugu State High Court, which declared the arrest and detention of Egwuatu by the DSS as unlawful and violation of his fundamental rights as well as fined secret police N5 million.
He said: “The Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu judicial Division has just delivered a landmark judgment in Appeal by the State Security Service, versus Stephen Egwatu, filed by the SSS to challenge the decision of the Enugu State High Court.
“The High Court had, on 4th July, 2023, declared the arrest and detention of Mr. Stephen Egwuatu unlawful, describing it as a vicious violation of his fundamental rights.
“It is pertinent to note that Stephen was only 12years at the time of his arrest and detention.
“Although he was arrested on the 8th November, 2021 and released on 11th November, 2021; the court strongly condemned the actions of the SSS, in the unlawful arrest and detention of an innocent minor, and consequently awarded a cost of N5 million against the SSS.
“The SSS, however, through the Enugu State Ministry of Justice, appealed against the said judgment.
“In a unanimous Judgment delivered today, 27th March, 2025, the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, dismissed the appeal as unmeritorious.
“My Lord the Hon. Justice Abdul-Azeez Waziri (JCA), who read the lead judgment, upheld the Judgment of the High Court and reaffirmed the punitive cost awarded against the SSS.”
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