The Federal High Court sitting in Calabar has awarded ₦100 million in damages against the Nigeria Police Force and four other respondents over the death of 22-year-old Onyekachi Mba, who died following an incident involving police officers attached to the Cross River State Government House.
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Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu delivered the judgment on Thursday in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed on behalf of the deceased by his counsel, Chief Roland Nbubuka.
The suit, filed on October 10, 2025, challenged the circumstances that led to Mba’s death after he allegedly sustained fatal injuries during an encounter with police officers at the Government House, Calabar, on August 1, 2025.
The respondents in the suit were the Nigeria Police Force, ASP Victor Edet, the Police Service Commission, the Commissioner of Police, Cross River State, and SP Emmanuel Dickson, Chief Security Officer, Government House, Calabar.
In her judgment, Justice Ojukwu held that the conduct of the police officers, which resulted in the injuries and eventual death of Mba, amounted to a violation of his constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights.
The court found that Mba’s rights to dignity of the human person, personal liberty and life were unlawfully violated by the actions of the officers involved in the incident.
According to court records, Mba sustained severe injuries during the August 1 incident and was later taken to the Naval Reference Hospital in Calabar, where he eventually died.
The suit sought declarations that the deceased was subjected to unlawful treatment inconsistent with his fundamental rights and asked the court to award compensation for the alleged violations under Section 46 of the 1999 Constitution.
Justice Ojukwu ruled that the assault and fatal injuries suffered by Mba were unlawful and unjustifiable.
The court consequently awarded ₦100 million in damages against the respondents, holding that the amount may be paid jointly or severally.
The judgment marks a major development in the case, which had earlier attracted public attention after allegations emerged that Mba was brutalised by police officers attached to the Cross River State Government House.
The court’s decision reinforces the constitutional obligation of security agencies to protect the lives and dignity of citizens and not subject them to unlawful assault, detention or treatment.
With the award of damages, the court held the police and other respondents accountable for the violation of Mba’s fundamental rights and the circumstances that led to his death.
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