Onyekachi Mba, a 22-year-old man, died from injuries sustained during an alleged beating and shooting by police security personnel at the Cross River State Government House in Calabar on August 1, 2025. He was taken to the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Calabar, where he later died. A Federal High Court in Calabar ruled on Thursday that the actions of the police officers constituted a flagrant violation of Mba's fundamental rights under Sections 35, 36, 37 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), including the right to personal liberty and dignity of the human person.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu delivered the judgment in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed on October 10, 2025, by Mrs Victoria Mba, mother of the deceased, through her counsel, Chief Roland Ndubuka. The defendants named in the suit were the Nigeria Police Force, ASP Victor Edet, the Police Service Commission, the Commissioner of Police in Cross River State, and SP Emmanuel Dickson, the Chief Security Officer at the Government House. The court found that the torture, assault and killing of Mba by a police officer attached to the residence of Governor Bassey Otu was unlawful and described it as "abuse of power and executive recklessness".
The court awarded N100 million in damages against all respondents, stating the sum could be paid jointly or severally. Justice Ojukwu held that the actions of the officers failed to uphold constitutional obligations and amounted to inhuman treatment. The judgment emphasized that state agents must operate within legal boundaries, particularly when deployed at executive residences.
The police officer who killed Onyekachi Mba was stationed at the governor's residence, yet the court found his actions were an abuse of power and executive recklessness. The N100 million award does not restore Mba's life or undo the violence inflicted on him. The ruling confirms that state security operatives violated constitutional rights while carrying out duties at a government facility. This outcome places legal accountability on named officers and institutions for fatal misconduct under state authority.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion. All persons mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Full disclaimer →
