For Locking up Personal Assistant in Dog Cage, FIDA Nigeria Secures N30 Million Damages Against Ahmadu Ali’s wife

By Lillian Okenwa

For locking up her personal assistant, Ms. Deborah Longs Nanpon in a dog cage for three days, a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has awarded the sum of N30 million naira as damages against Dr. Mrs. Marianne Ahmadu Ali, wife of a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmadu Ali.

The court in its judgment of Tuesday 28th March 2023 delivered by Honourable Justice Akanbi-Yusuf agreed with Ms. Nanpon’s lawyers — the International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA Nigeria that the Applicant was unlawfully detained by Mrs. Ali and dehumanized by being locked up in a filthy dog cage for three days.

Her Lordship proceeded to grant the declarations sought and awarded N30,000,000.00 (Thirty Million Naira) as compensation to the Applicant along with a publication of an apology in a national newspaper.

Sometime in April 2022, the story broke about how Dr. Mrs. Marianne Ahmadu Ali, wife of a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmadu Ali dehumanized her Personal Assistant.

Dr. Mrs. Ali had her beaten and locked up in a dog cage for three days without food or water. She was constrained to defecate and urinate on herself in that cage.

Luckily for the victim, the matter got to Ordinary Ahmed Isah of the popular reality radio programme Brekete Family, which is broadcast daily from Abuja on Human Rights Radio and Television.

Ordinary Ahmed Isah then requested the attention of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA Nigeria which has a standing litigation team.

The organization immediately swung into action and sought the enforcement of the victim’s fundamental human rights as NAPTIP was not keen on prosecuting Mrs. Ali under the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015 (VAPP Act).

Ogechi Abu of Firstrate Attorneys, a member of the FIDA Nigeria litigation team and FIDA Abuja conducted the matter on behalf of FIDA Nigeria.

The FIDA representative, Mrs. Ogechi Abu expressed FIDA’s pleasure with the outcome of the matter saying, FIDA is exceedingly glad and conveys its gratitude to the Court for the quick resolution of the matter as should be the case in the enforcement of fundamental human rights as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap 10) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 (As Amended).”

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