A Benue State High Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State, presided over by Justice Theresa Shija on Thursday, 18 July, 2024 awarded the sum of N800 million against the Nigerian Army and 10 others over the brutal murder of Sixtus Akure.
The verdict came three years after the deceased, Akure, a senior tax officer with the Benue Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), died from a brutal assault by soldiers in 2022 and the case was brought before the court by former Chairman of BIRS, Mrs Mimi Orubibi.
Akure, who was attached to the BIRS Gazetted Inspection Point, near the “C” Division Police Station, in the North Bank area of Makurdi, was found lifeless by the roadside near Aper Aku Estate in North Bank, Makurdi, a day after he was abducted at his duty post on Saturday, January 15, 2022 and was whisked away by men of the Nigerian Army.
On March 19, 2022, a Coroner Inquest into the gruesome murder of Mr Akure commenced at the Chief Magistrate Court 1, Makurdi, with the late Mike Utsaha and Desmond Tor Wendeh as counsels to the BIRS.
The Coroner Inquest found the Nigerian Army culpable in the death of Sixtus Akure.
The BIRS under the leadership of Mimi Adzape-Orubibi filed a suit on behalf of the family of the deceased.
The Nigerian Army, Nigerian Army Council, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Defence Staff, Commanding Officer, 72 Special Forces, Makurdi, Captain Osita Obe (then adjutant of 72 Special Forces) and the five soldiers who were identified as culprits were joined as defendants in the suit.
The Nigerian Army through their counsel, Isah Shaibu, filed their response to the suit.
In a well-considered judgment delivered by the trial Judge, Justice Shija dismissed the preliminary objection raised by the counsel to the defendants and determined the case on its merit.
Justice Shija, who awarded judgment in favour of the wife of the deceased BIRS staff, Catherine Akure; ordered the Nigerian Army and all the respondents to pay the sum of N800 million to Mrs Catherine Akure for violating the fundamental right to life of her husband.
The Court further ordered the BIRS to immediately give a permanent and pensionable appointment to Mrs Catherine Akure, whose husband was gruesomely murdered by men of the Nigerian Army at his duty post in North Bank, Makurdi.
Recall that the then BIRS Chairman, Orubibi gave Mrs Akure a casual appointment as a BIRS staff after the death of her husband.
Reacting to the judgment, Mrs Akure appreciated the judiciary for being the last hope of the common man, just as she commended the immediate past Chairman of the BIRS, Chief Mrs Mimi Adzape-Orubibi for standing by her and the family throughout their trying time, describing her as a mother.
She equally commended her lawyer, Desmond Wendeh for his legal services and support and disclosed that the money awarded to her by the court will be used in catering for her children and the surviving mother of her husband.
