A Lagos High Court in Ikeja will on December 10, 2024, deliver judgment on a N1.06 billion fundamental human rights enforcement suit brought by Mr. Steven Amos and his wife, Doris, against the Lagos State Government and several other parties.
The couple has been battling for justice over the disappearance of their mentally ill son, Kingsley Amos, 14 years ago.
The case, identified as suit number ID/13107MFHR/22, lists the Lagos State Government, its Attorney General, the Ministry of Youths and Social Development, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, and the Inspector General of Police as defendants.
The applicants in the suit are Mr. Steven Amos, his wife Doris, and their missing son, Kingsley, who disappeared after allegedly being taken into custody by Lagos State authorities in 2010.
Justice L.A.F. Oluyemi, who presides over the matter, scheduled the judgment after the respondents failed to file any defense since the case was initiated and served on them.
The suit claims that Kingsley was wrongfully arrested, detained, and potentially killed after being taken into custody during a 2010 raid by state authorities.
Represented by their legal counsel, Eze Alala, the Amos family detailed that Kingsley was under treatment for a mental health condition when Lagos State agents carried out a raid in the Ojodu area.
According to the family’s account, Kingsley was taken away without their consent and later found at the Majidun Rehabilitation Centre.
However, on April 14, 2010, state officials informed the Amos family that Kingsley, along with other individuals, had been transferred to an undisclosed location. Since that day, they have not seen or heard from their son.
Despite persistent inquiries, the Lagos State authorities have allegedly refused to reveal any information about Kingsley’s fate or whereabouts, plunging his family into 14 years of emotional and psychological torment.
The plaintiffs argue that the state’s refusal to provide answers has compounded their grief and prolonged their suffering.
In their plea to the court, the Amos family seeks an order for the immediate release of Kingsley, whether dead or alive.
In addition, they are requesting N1 billion in damages for the unlawful arrest, detention, and possible torture of their son, alongside an additional N50 million as exemplary damages.
The family is also asking the court to compel the respondents to issue a public apology in major Nigerian newspapers and reimburse them with N10 million to cover their legal expenses.
The Amos family has expressed growing frustration with what they describe as a lack of transparency and accountability on the part of the Lagos State Government and the police.
They contend that the authorities’ prolonged silence and inaction have subjected them to years of unrelenting pain and uncertainty.
