Mother And Son Drag Nigerian Govt To ECOWAS Court Over Alleged Police Extortion, Defamation; Demand Apology, $500Million In Damages

Nigeria is facing another embarrassing human rights lawsuit at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice in Abuja, after a mother and her son accused the Nigeria Police Force of extortion, unlawful property seizure, and defamation.

The case, filed as Suit No: ECW/CCJ/APP/42/25, was entered into the court’s register on September 10, 2025, with the Chief Registrar directing the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the sole defendant, to file its defence within 30 days or risk judgment in default.

The applicants, Mrs. Gladys Ubogu Okeoghene and her son, Mr. Highness Onoruikpe, residents of Ughelli, Delta State, alleged in their originating application that police officers under the Delta State Command turned a petition about a fraudulent mechanic into a cash cow by extorting them, refusing to release recovered vehicles, and finally issuing a defamatory press statement to shield their misconduct.

According to documents seen by SaharaReporters, the saga began in November 2022, when the family’s Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 and Mercedes-Benz C400 broke down. They hired a mechanic, one Solomon David Orshieda, who allegedly collected ₦4.2 million through his girlfriend’s bank account but failed to fix the vehicles.

The family said they turned to the police in October 2024 after the mechanic refunded only a fraction and absconded. The Warri Area Command assigned the case to Inspector Ebinum Odiri Oghenerukevwe, who confirmed the cars belonged to Mrs. Ubogu and even recovered one of them in Lagos.

But instead of resolving the matter, the applicants allege that the IPO and her colleagues seized the recovered car and began demanding bribes.

In one documented instance, the applicants said they were forced to part with ₦230,000 through their lawyer, yet the Mercedes C400 was never released.

Court filings allege that the IPO further demanded monies which were paid into her Zenith Bank account (Acct. No: 2004981817), while other officers involved also collected cash payments.

Matters escalated on January 28, 2025, when the Delta State Police Command, through its spokesperson SP Bright Edafe, issued a statement claiming the complainants had abandoned their petition and that Onoruikpe had authorised the sale of the GLK without providing ownership papers.

The applicants called this false, defamatory, and malicious. According to them, the press release was a deliberate cover-up of extortion by the police and an attempt to tarnish the Applicants’ reputation before the public.

Their lawyer, Andrew N. Elekeokwuri, told the court that the actions of the Nigerian police “amount to violations of the Applicants’ fundamental rights to property, dignity, fair hearing, reputation, and equal protection of the law, as guaranteed by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ICCPR, the Revised ECOWAS Treaty, and the Nigerian Constitution.”

The court papers further read, “The refusal to release the Mercedes Benz C400 without illegal payments amounts to arbitrary deprivation of property in violation of Article 14 ACHPR, Article 17 UDHR, and Section 43 of the Nigerian Constitution.

“The defamatory press release imputing false allegations against the Applicants constitutes a direct attack on their dignity and reputation, contrary to Article 5 ACHPR, Article 12 UDHR, and Section 34(1) of the Nigerian Constitution.”

The mother and son are seeking a declaration that the extortion and unlawful withholding of their cars breached their rights, an order directing Nigeria to return both the Mercedes Benz GLK 350 and C400 immediately, a mandatory order compelling the withdrawal of the “false and defamatory” police press release and a public apology, and damages of $500 million (about ₦806 billion) for financial loss, emotional trauma, reputational damage, and violation of fundamental rights.

They also seek a perpetual injunction restraining Nigerian authorities from further harassment, extortion, or defamation.

The court filing states: “The demand and collection of monies by the Investigating Police Officer and other officers constitute extortion and degrading treatment, violating the Applicants’ dignity.

“The unlawful detention of property and defamatory publication against the Applicants are clear breaches of international and domestic human rights law.”

The Federal Republic of Nigeria, through the Attorney-General’s office, is expected to respond.

For Mrs. Ubogu and her son, the case is not just about recovering their vehicles. It is, as they put in their court papers, about “vindicating our dignity and compelling the Nigerian state to answer for the misconduct of its police officers.”