Isah Hassan-Nalaraba, a Nigerian lawyer, has filed a lawsuit against Judge Abdullahi Hassan-Shama of the Nasarawa State High Court, alleging unlawful detention and the forceful confiscation of his mobile phones.
The lawsuit, which seeks N610 million in damages, claims that Nalaraba’s fundamental human rights were violated during a court appearance at the High Court in Doma on February 5, 2025.
According to Nalaraba, he had filed a motion requesting Judge Hassan-Shama to recuse himself from the case due to a perceived likelihood of bias.
However, the judge denied the motion and insisted on hearing both the application for recusal and the substantive suit. Nalaraba withdrew from the case, citing fairness concerns, and was subsequently detained and had his phones confiscated.
Nalaraba is seeking compensatory damages of N200 million for the unlawful seizure of his mobile phones, which deprived him of communication.
He is also seeking exemplary damages of N150 million for his unconstitutional detention and the humiliation suffered, as well as general damages of N10 million against the respondents for the violation of his rights.
The respondents in the suit are Judge Abdullahi Hassan-Shama, the registrar of the Doma High Court, the Commissioner of Police, Nigeria Police Force, and Dahiru Maruf, a police orderly. The case has been adjourned to April 29, 2025, for hearing.
