Nigeria Police has been directed to pay N15 million to three families over the killings of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN).
A Federal High Court, Abuja, which gave the order also ordered the National Hospital, Abuja, to immediately release the three bodies in its morgue to the families.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo, in his judgement, while granting Reliefs A and C of the applicants, said each of the applicants must be paid N5 million as compensation for the killings.
The judge, however, did not grant the prayer that the Nigerian police should tender an apology in two national newspapers.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the Inspector General of Police is the first respondent while the medical directors of National Hospital, Abuja, and Asokoro District Hospital are both second respondent in the four separate charges.
Suleiman Shehu, Mahdi Musa, Bilyaminu Abubakar Faska and Askari Hassan were alleged to have been killed by police on July 22, 2019 while on a peaceful protest to demand for the freedom of their Islamic leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife, at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja.
While the bodies of Suleiman Shehu, Mahdi Musa and Bilyaminu Abubakar Faska were alleged to have been deposited at National Hospital, Abuja, the body of Askari Hassan was said to have been kept in Asokoro District Hospital.
The applicants, who are said to be brothers of the deceased in the suit, are Ibrahim Abdullahi, Ahmad Musa, Yusuf Faska and Said Haruna respectively.
However, throughout the duration of the court proceedings, the Nigerian police neither filed a counter-affidavit nor sent a lawyer for representation.
