Sule Sani, an Adamawa-born who owned a shop in Lagos State spent about 13 years in prison after he was arrested for brawling with some rogues who wanted to loot his shop.
Sometime in December 1998, the rogues came to loot his shop. In the process of defending himself, one of them [looters] fell down as the others took to their heels. Sani would be later be arrested by police operatives who detained him at Tin Can Police Station where he was informed that the fallen rogue had died.
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Subsequently, he was transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Panti. He would later be arraigned at Magistrate Court 1 in Yaba where he was remanded on January 8, 1999 till 2011 after he filed an appeal case.
In defence, the then Lagos State commissioner of police, filed a counter affidavit to Sule’s application but it was not in written form. Hence his couter affidavit was trashed.
The court, on the ground that Sule’s request was not controverted, granted his request to be released unconditionally from prison, and also awarded him one million naira in damages.
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The appeal case has been in court since 2011 and the final judgement was given on November 25, 2022, but in the absence of Sani, according to a court writ obtained by WikkiTimes. Justice Onyekachi Aja Otasi of Lagos High Court delivered the judgment, emphsasising that Sani’s fundamental human rights was breached.
JUSTICE SERVED IN ABSENTIA
According to the court writ, Sani who is a gate man from Adamawa State and also managed a provision store had possibly relocated to his state after he was released in 2011. Also his counsel, Ahmed Adetola Kasim Esq could not say anything about his client’s whereabouts. But the court proceeded for justice.
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Despite Sani’s absence, a one million naira damage was awarded against the Lagos State Atorney General represented by his counsel. Rotimi Odutola Esq, and the then police boss who never showed up during proceedings.
However, the attorney general pleaded with the court the he should be allow to pay half of the damages. The court granted his request and advised that the damges be paid into Lagos State government account as Sani could no longer be found.
