The Court of Appeal, Lagos on Thursday reserved judgment in a suit challenging a high court judgment which ordered the payment of N25 million compensatory damage to Mr Babatunde Omidina, popularly known as "Baba Suwe''.
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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), which was ordered to pay the popular actor the sum, is urging the appellate court to upturn the judgment.
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Justice Yetunde Idowu of the Lagos High Court had made the order in a judgment delivered on Nov. 24, 2011.
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The money is to serve as compensation for breach of Omidina's fundamental rights following his detention on false allegations of drug trafficking.
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She had held that the prolonged detention of the popular actor by the NDLEA, without being charged to court, was "unjustifiable".
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On Thursday, the panel of justices of the appellate court, presided over by Mr Chima Nweze, reserved judgment in the appeal after counsel to both the appellant and respondent had argued their briefs.
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Adopting his brief of argument dated Feb. 3, 2012, counsel to NDLEA, Mr Femi Oloruntoba, urged the court to set aside the judgment of the lower court Oloruntoba argued that the lower court erred in law when it held that the respondent was illegally detained for nine days.
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He said that an order of the Federal High Court was obtained before the arrest and detention was made and so the trial court had no basis in arriving at its judgment.
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The counsel said that the damage sum of N25 million was outrageous and did not follow laid down principles of law.