Nigeria, Nov. 15 -- The Federal High Court in Abuja has declared illegal the use of police for loan recovery.

Judge Mohammed Umar made the declaration in a judgement in a case of the arrest and detention of Helen Shalamba by police officers.

Ms Shalamba was arrested at the instance of her former lover Ogashuwa Okuba over a loan and relationship dispute.

The judge ruled that it is illegal to involve the police in a non-criminal dispute and awarded N2 million damages to Ms Shalamba for a series of violations of her rights.

The judge, who cited a line of related judicial precedents to back his stance, held that "in the instant case, the using of the instrumentality" of the police by Mr Okuba, the 6th respondent, "on a matter that is pure...