Court Slams Cost against Complainant In Blessing CEO’s Illegal Detention Suit
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, has granted a cost against Mrs. Folashade Samuels, a nominal complainant and 4th respondent in the suit by popular relationship expert, Ms. Blessing Okoro (aka Blessing CEO) against the Inspector General of Police and others over her alleged illegal detention in 2022.
In a fundamental human rights enforcement suit, filed in February, Ms. Okoro had demanded N75million damages for her illegal detention allegedly instigated by Mrs. Samuel to embarrass her. In the suit filed by her lawyer, Mr Prince Nwafuru, Ms. Okoro, challenged the legality of her detention by the Police on December 15, 2022, following a second petition by Mrs. Samuels despite the fact that the same Police had earlier granted her administrative bail on an earlier petition by same complainant.
Okoro claimed that the second petition which led to her arrest was ill-advised, based on false information and totally made in bad faith and further argued that Mrs. Samuels had rushed to Police in Abuja, when she felt disappointed that the Police at Panti granted her administrative bail.
Seeking restraining injunctions against the Police, Ms Okoro also insisted that the entire episode was orchestrated to embarrass her as the Police allowed Mrs. Samuels to take her picture and circulate to bloggers.
When the matter came up on November 8, Mrs. Folashade’s lawyer, Mr H. Eromosele informed the court that he filed his defence out of time and applied for leave to regularise it.
However, Ms Okoro’s lawyer, objected to the application and argued that the respondent did not pay the default fee as prescribed by the Rules of the Court.
At his request, Justice A. Lewia-Allagoa granted a cost of N50,000 against the 4th respondent Mrs. Folashade and adjourned the matter till December 5, 2023, for hearing.
