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…as Judge condemns “sledgehammer tactics” in repeated arrests, warns Nigeria against drifting into arbitrary rule
By Saviour Ekpe, PhD
The Nigerian Police, an institution established by law for the sole aim of maintaining law and order in the country has turned itself into a repugnant organisation against the constitution. In a similar vein, a couple, Essienubong Blaise Udo and Mrs. Charity Essienubong Blaise in a flagrant and deliberate disobedient ignored the Court judgement delivered by a Judge Eno H. Isangedighi in the Abak Judiciary Division on the 30th day of June, 2025 mandating 1. Essienubong Blaise Udo 2. Mrs. Charity Essienubong Blaise 3. Inspector Becky James (Investigating Police Officer) Akwa Ibom State Command 4. The Commissioner Of Police and 5. The Nigeria Police Force to pay in total the sum of ten million, two hundred thousand naira to Mr. Udotong Ezekiah Jimmy
In a landmark ruling that strikes at the heart of citizens’ rights and the integrity of law enforcement, the Court condemned the repeated arrest, detention and torture of a man by the Nigerian Police acting on a private complaint. The Court not only declared the actions unlawful but portrayed them as symptomatic of a broader and troubling pattern of abuse of power in Nigeria’s justice system.
Court extracts available to Century Newsfront reveal that the Applicant was arrested multiple times following a complaint filed by Essienubong Blaise Udo and Mrs. Charity Essienubong Blaise (referred to as the 1st and 2nd Respondents). While the Court acknowledged that the complainants may have had a legitimate grievance, the conduct of the Nigerian Police who carried out the arrests—was deemed grossly excessive, unconstitutional, and unbecoming of any lawful authority.
In a sharply worded rebuke, the judge stated, “The 1st–2nd Respondents may well have had a genuine cause to report a crime perceived to have been committed by the Applicant… Their method of seeking to redress the perceived wrong has however come under the scrutiny of the law. It is like killing a fly with a sledge hammer”.
The Court’s findings painted a disturbing picture, multiple arrests on the same complaint, prolonged detention without proper legal basis, mental and physical torture, hounding and intimidation beyond the boundaries of lawful procedure. The judge condemned these actions in the strongest terms, “To have arrested the Applicant severally, detained him, hounded him in the manner described by him, torture him physically or mentally is not only wrong. It is unlawful and to say the least despicable”. This language, unusually vivid for a judicial pronouncement, underscores how seriously the Court viewed the misconduct.
Beyond the specifics of the case, the ruling carries a broader warning about Nigeria’s democratic trajectory, “Nigeria is supposed to be and has been described in many quarters as a democratic society…The standard of dealings should be above that practiced in the animal kingdom, where survival is for the fittest”, the judgment noted. This statement is both a legal reminder and an editorial alarm bell, ‘a democracy cannot function where citizens fear arbitrary arrest, unchecked force, or intimidation by those in power’.
To strengthen its position, the Court invoked longstanding legal authorities. Foremost among them was the revered pronouncement of Elias, CJN, in Ayo v. Ashire (1973), which the judge quoted extensively, “Every citizen resident in the country has the right to go about his or her lawful business unmolested and unhindered by anyone else…The Court will frown upon the manifestation of arbitrary power assumed by anyone over the life and property of another, even if that other person is suspected of having breached some law or regulation”.
Legal analysts say the reliance on this precedent signals the judiciary’s frustration with recurring abuses by security agencies and state actors. Other authorities cited—ANSESA v. Ekweneme (2001), Fawehinmi v. Babangida (2000) and Jimoh v. AG Federation—reinforce the constitutional principle that no individual may be deprived of liberty without strict adherence to due process.
From the Century Newsfront standpoint, the Court’s ruling reads like both a judgment and a plea. It is a reaffirmation of the Constitution but also a reminder of how fragile rights become when those entrusted with enforcing the law begin to operate outside it. Nigeria must decide whether this moment becomes a turning point or yet another warning buried in law reports. Because, as the Court has made clear, a nation cannot claim to be democratic while tolerating “sledgehammer tactics” against its citizens. However, every effort to get Police reaction prove abortive as messages sent to the CP and the PPRO by Journalists though received, were not responded to.
Watch out for more unfolding details in subsequent editions.
