Court Awards N30m Cost Against ex-PDP Chairman’s Wife

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has awarded N30 million against Mrs Marianne Ahmadu Ali, wife of a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmadu Ali, for locking up her personal assistant, Ms. Deborah Longs Nanpon, in a filthy dog’s cage for three days.

Justice Akanbi- Yusuf held that Ms. Deborah was unlawfully detained by the politician’s wife in a dehumanising condition.

Besides the monetary compensation of N30 million, the court further ordered Marianne to tender a public apology to her personal assistant in a national newspaper. The case was supported by the Human Rights Radio and Television, Abuja with the services of lawyers from the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA).

The bizarre story broke out sometime in April 2022, about how Dr. Mrs. Marianne Ahmadu Ali, wife of a former National Chairman of the PDP, Ahmadu Ali dehumanised her personal assistant.

Mrs. Ali had her personal assistant beaten and locked up in a dog’s cage for three days without food or water. She was constrained to defecate and urinate on herself in that cage. However, the matter got to Ordinary Ahmed Isah of the popular reality radio programme, Brekete Family, which is broadcast daily from Abuja on Human Rights Radio and Television.

Ordinary Ahmed Isah then requested the attention of FIDA and it immediately swung into action and sought the enforcement of the victim’s fundamental human rights as NAPTIP was not keen on prosecuting Mrs. Ali under the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015 (VAPP Act).

FIDA had, in an originating motion filed on May 4, 2022, sought the sum of N500 million in damages and an apology in a national newspaper. The matter was conducted on behalf of FIDA by Ogechi Abu, Firstrate Attorneys and a member of the organisation. Responding to the judgment of the court, FIDA expressed gratitude to the court for doing justice to the case.

“FIDA is exceedingly glad and conveys its gratitude to the court, for the quick resolution of the matter as should be the case in the enforcement of fundamental human rights as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap 10) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 (As Amended).”

FIDA, in its originating process, had sought the following reliefs: “a declaration that the detention of the applicant at the home of the first respondent by the first respondent between Sunday, March 20, 2022 and Tuesday, March 22, 2022 without a warrant, court order or legal justification is illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and a flagrant violation of the applicant’s fundamental right to personal liberty guaranteed by Section 35(1) (a-f) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended) and Article 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap 10) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 (As Amended).

“A declaration that the vicious beatings inflicted upon the applicant by the first, second and third respondents at the first respondent’s home on Sunday, March 20, 2022, and her subsequent confinement in the first respondent’s filthy dog’s cage by the first respondent between Sunday, March 20, 2022 and Tuesday, March 22, 2022 without a warrant, court order or legal justification is illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and amounted to torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in gross violation of the aplicant’s fundamental right to human dignity guaranteed by Section 34(1)(a) and (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended) and Article 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap 10) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 (As Amended).

“A declaration that the applicant’s written undertaking to pay N1,200,000.00 to Mr. Idris Salim, which was forcefully extracted from the applicant by the first respondent at the first respondent’s home, on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, without any opportunity given to the applicant to consult with a legal practitioner of her choice is illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and of no legal effect whatsoever.

“An order setting aside the applicant’s written undertaking to pay N1,200,000.00 to Mr. Idris Salim, which was forcefully extracted from the applicant by the first respondent at the first respondent’s home on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, without any opportunity given to the applicant to consult with a legal practitioner of her choice; for being illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and of no legal effect whatsoever.

“An order perpetual injunction restraining the first, second and third respondents, whether by themselves or through their agents, servants, privies, employees or howsoever named from further harassing, intimidating and or threatening the applicant, in respect of any matter pertaining to the applicant’s former employment with the first respondent or for any other reason whatsoever.

“An order directing the first, second and third respondents to jointly issue a public letter of apology to the applicant to be published in ThisDay Newspaper or any other newspaper with national circulation for their violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights to personal liberty, human dignity, private and family life; and in accordance with Section 35(6) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended).

“ Damages in the sum of N500 million against the first, second and third respondents for the violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights to personal liberty, human dignity, private and family life and the pain, anguish, mental, psychological and emotional torture/trauma they inflicted upon the applicant; in accordance with Section 35(6) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended).