Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Gboko Branch in Benue state under the leadership of its Chairman, F. M. Z. Felix Uwar Esq on Friday 11th September, 2026 obtained a landmark judgement in favour of its member, Agugu Iliamkondo Benson Bemsen who was recently assaulted and battered by personnel of the Nigeria Police Force in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.
The facts which necessitated the suit that delivered the sweet victory last Friday were that; sometime in May, 2026, a client retained the legal services of B. B. Iliamkondo, Esq. to secure his bail at Koti-Mbaduku, Shangev-Yav, Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State. On arrival at the police outpost, the officer in-charge, one Inspector Terngu Ikyuur, demanded for money as a condition for the bail of the said client. Confused, the learned Iliamkondo, Esq. requested to know why he had to pay for bail when it was statutorily free of charge whereupon the police officer got infuriated and ordered him to vacate the police outpost immediately or face being implicated in his client’s cause. Mr. Iliamkondo then made to deliver his written application for the bail of his client but the officer instead seized him by the shirt, stalked him to the ground and cramped him into detention alongside his client and other inmates.
The following day, Inspector Terngu Ikyuur brought Mr. Iliamkondo out of the detention facility and forced him to carry on his head a bucket of faeces and urine passed over night by inmates. The officer compelled him to sing that he was a charge and bail lawyer as he marched Mr. Iliamkondo around the community with a loaded gun pointed at his head all the while, threatening to kill Mr. Iliamkondo if he stopped marching.
Upon the intervention of his learned friends, Mr iliamkondo was later released after being brutalized and stripped half-naked by the said police Inspector. Aggrieved, the learned Chairman, Uwar, Esq., quickly empanelled a team of lawyers to secure the enforcement of fundamental rights of their learned friend, comprised of I. S. Gese, Esq.; F. M. Z. Uwar, Esq.; Bem-Ephraim Orlunan Ayati Esq.; T. I. Tur, Esq.; S. L. Puusu, Esq.; B. I. Aker, Esq.; G. M. Jimin, Esq.; S. S. Gbileve, Esq.; C. M. T. Uwar, Esq.; F. Tyoyima, Esq.; B. E. Atser, Esq.; and M. I. Tagher, Esq.
The said legal team promptly institued SUIT NO: MHC/4110M / 2026 before the Benue State High Court of Justice, sitting at Makurdi with B. B. Iliamkondo, Esq. as the Applicant against Inspector Terngu Ikyuur; CSP Banfa U. Nanzing; Commissioner of Police, Benue State; Inspector General of Police; Police Service Commission; and Nigeria Police Force as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Respondents, respectively.
In his judgement delivered on September 11, 2026, the learned Hon. Justice M. M. Ikwulono, J., upheld the application and entered judgement in favour of the Applicant, Agugu Iliamkondo Benson Bemsen Esq. Inter alia, the Court awarded general and exemplary damages in his favour and against the Respondents in the sum of Five Hundred Million Naira (₦500, 000, 000.00) only for the violation of his fundamental rights by the police. The Court also Ordered the police to author and publish an apology to the Applicant in national newspapers with nation-wide circulation, a copy of which shall be furnished to the Applicant.
On our part as the legal team, we salute this judgement as sound in law, compensatory to our learned friend and deterrent against the police. We equally thank the Chairman of the Gboko Branch of the NBA, Uwar, Esq., under whose watch he ensured that our learned colleague’s humiliation got the justice that he deserves.
NIGERIAN NEWSGUIDE learnt that members of Nigerian Bar Association Gboko branch are seriously gearing up to ensure swift implementation of the N500 million court judgement in the weeks ahead.
