Reported by: Ijeoma .G | Edited by: Henry Owen
A Rivers State man, Mr. Chima Nwosu, has filed a fundamental human rights enforcement suit seeking ₦10 billion compensation after alleging that he was unlawfully detained for 18 years without trial in connection with a criminal allegation.
The case was filed before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, May 21, 2026, against the Inspector-General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Attorney-General of the Federation as respondents.
Court documents show that Nwosu is asking the court to declare his prolonged detention unconstitutional, arguing that it violated his fundamental rights to liberty and fair hearing as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
According to affidavits supporting the suit, the claimant was first arrested in 2008 in Rivers State over allegations linked to an armed robbery investigation. He alleges that despite multiple police custody transfers and remand orders, he was never formally charged to court throughout the period of his detention.
Nwosu further claims that he spent years in different detention facilities within Rivers State and other locations, including police holding cells and correctional facilities, without access to a full criminal trial or proper legal resolution of his case.
His legal team, led by Barrister Emmanuel Eze, argued that the continued detention amounted to a gross violation of constitutional safeguards, particularly Section 35 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees the right to personal liberty and mandates prompt arraignment of suspects.
The suit also seeks a court order directing the immediate release of the applicant, alongside the ₦10 billion compensation for what his lawyers described as “psychological trauma, loss of dignity, and irreversible social and economic damage” suffered over nearly two decades.
The Nigeria Police Force, in its preliminary response filed through counsel, is expected to challenge the claims, although no detailed counter-affidavit had been publicly disclosed as of Friday, May 23, 2026.
Legal observers say the case, if substantiated, could become one of the longest alleged pre-trial detention challenges in recent Nigerian legal history, raising renewed concerns about case backlog, custodial management, and criminal justice delays in the country.
Human rights organisations have frequently criticised prolonged detention without trial in Nigeria, particularly in cases involving indigent suspects who remain in custody due to inability to meet bail conditions or delays in prosecution.
The Nigerian Correctional Service has also faced scrutiny over overcrowded facilities, with rights groups arguing that many inmates across the country are awaiting trial for extended periods beyond constitutional limits.
In recent years, Nigerian courts have awarded compensation in similar human rights violation cases, where unlawful detention was proven, although the amounts vary depending on judicial discretion and the severity of the violation.
As of Friday, May 23, 2026, the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has not fixed a date for substantive hearing of the suit, while parties are expected to complete filing of responses before proceedings commence.
The case has drawn public attention in Rivers State, where residents and civil society actors have called for a thorough review of long-standing detention cases and improved compliance with constitutional safeguards by law enforcement agencies.
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