Court Orders Bauchi Govt to Pay N100m Damages, Apologize to Former Accountant General

By: Khalid Idris Doya

 Bauchi State Nigeria- July 22, 2025 (Series News Online).

Court 

 The Federal High Court sitting in Bauchi has ordered the Bauchi State Government to pay the sum of N100 million in general and exemplary damages to the former Accountant General of the state, Dr. Saidu Abubakar. The court also directed the state government to publish a public apology in two national dailies to Dr. Abubakar.

The judgment, delivered by Justice Aminu Garba in suit No. FHC/BAU/CS/43/2024, followed a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Dr. Abubakar over what he described as illegal arrest, intimidation, harassment, and detention by state agents in connection to his official duties.

 Justice Garba ruled that the action of the respondents, including the Inspector General of Police, Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Bauchi State Government, Attorney General of Bauchi State, and the Bauchi State Public Complaint Commission, were unconstitutional and a breach of the applicant's fundamental rights. The court declared, "Threat, intimidation, unlawful arrest and detention of the applicant by Agents of the respondents with respect to his official duties and functions as Accountant General of Bauchi State is unconstitutional, illegal, unlawful, null and void, and a breach of the applicant's fundamental Rights pursuant to sections 34(1), 35, 36, 41(1) and 46(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended); Articles 4,5,6 and 12 of the African charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Laws of Federation(LFN 2004)."

 The court ruled that the respondents are not statutorily empowered to direct their agents to harass, intimidate, arrest and detain the applicant without recourse to due process. The court also held that the continued detention of Dr. Abubakar from 9 to 25th September, 2024 is a breach of his Fundamental Right to freedom of liberty, right to movement and the right to dignity of human person as provided under Sections 34,35 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

 The judge stated that the continuous detention of the Applicant from 9 to 25 September, 2024 by the Agents of the Respondents without Trial, is illegal, null and void and a flagrant violation of the Applicant's fundamental Right Pursuant to Section 35(5) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999 (as amended).

 The court issued an order of perpetual injection restraining the respondents, their agents from further harassment, intimidation, arrest or detention of the applicant with respect to the exercise of his statutory duties.

The court awarded the sum of N100,000,000.00 (One Hundred Million Naira) as general and exemplary damages against the respondents jointly and severally in favour of Dr. Abubakar as compensation for the violation of his Fundamental rights, harassment, psychological trauma and for the inconveniences occasioned there from.

The court further directed that a public apology be published in two national newspapers within 14 days of the judgment (from July 1, 2025), with a formal notification to the applicant. Additionally, the court struck out the name of the fourth respondent, the State Security Service, for lack of sufficient evidence against them.