The Federal High Court of Nigeria has ruled that the arrest of Ja’afar Muhammad by the Nigeria Police at Gwagwalada Teaching Hospital on July 22, 2019, and his subsequent execution on July 24, 2019, at SARS Abattoir, Abuja, were illegal and constituted a gross violation of his fundamental rights as guaranteed by Section 33 (1) 35 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
Justice Z. B. Abubakar of the Abuja Division rendered the decision in response to a case filed by Naziru Isah Abdullahi with case number FHC/ABJ/CD/409/2020.
Justice Abubakar stated that Naziru Isah had provided evidence that his brother, Ja’afar Muhammad, was shot and injured by the police on July 22, 2019, while participating in a peaceful demonstration for the release of Zakzaky at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.
Ja’afar was taken for treatment to the Gwagwalada Teaching Hospital. During his stay at the aforementioned hospital, police entered the facility and transported him to the SARS Cell, Abattoir, Garki, Abuja.
Ja’afar Muhammad died on July 24, 2019, as a result of the lack of medical care he received while in police custody.
The judge also stated that it was established that Ja’afar Muhammad’s body was transported to the Asokoro District Hospital in Abuja after his death.
Therefore, the Court issued an order directing the Inspector General of Police and the Medical Director of Asokoto District Hospital to release Ja’afar Muhammad’s body to his family for immediate Islamic burial rites.
The court also issued an order directing the Inspector General of Police to pay the applicant N100,000,000.00 (One Hundred Million Naira) for Ja’afar Muhammad’s unlawful detention and murder.
