Ferry Gberegbe: Court Grants Application To Join Police Service Commission In Suit
A Port-Harcourt High Court has granted the application of plaintiff’s counsel to join Police Service Commission as party in a fundamental rights suit brought against Commissioner of Police of Rivers State and former Commander of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) by widow of late Dr. Ferry Gberegbe.
Plaintiff’s counsel, Lezina Amegua, had made an application to join the Nigeria Police Force and Police Service Commission as parties in the suit filed by late Dr. Gberegbe’s widow, Ronke.
In his ruling on Monday, presiding judge of Port-Harcourt High Court, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, granted the application of plaintiff’s counsel to join the Police Service Commission as party in the suit. He did not however grant the counsel’s application to join Nigeria Police Force as a party in the suit.
Justice Enebeli adjourned the case to 29 November and to 12 and 19 of December for hearing after the ruling.
Counsel to the plaintiff said in an interview after the ruling that he agreed with the wisdom of the court in not granting his application to join the Nigeria Police Force as a party in the suit.
He said by the ruling he now has three defendants in the case.
According to him, the first defendant in the case is the Commissioner of Police of Rivers State and the second defendant is former Commander of SARS in the state, Akin Fakorede, while the third defendant is the Police Service Commission.
He said the court directed that the three defendants should be served with court processes.
Counsel to the defendants, Barrister Essiene Edet, was in court during proceedings.
Mrs. Ronke Gberegbe filed a fundamental rights suit against the defendants over an alleged violation of right to life of her late husband and has asked for the sum of N800million as damages for the alleged violation of the right to life of her late husband.
Dr. Ferry Gberegbe was allegedly shot by officers of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on March 10, 2019 at Independent National Electoral Commission’ Collation Centre in Bori in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State during the 2019 governorship election in the state.
Dr. Gberegbe who was a collation agent for Peoples Democratic Party in the election died later in hospital where he was rushed for emergency medical attention.
