EX-ENGLAND and Gladiators star John Fashanu was arrested on suspicion of “five crimes” and is suing cops for a whopping £100,000.
The 62-year-old is on bail after getting apprehended over a land dispute, reports claim.
Fashanu is suspected of criminal conspiracy, threat to life, intimidation, trespass, and obtaining by false pretence in Nigeria, where the star now resides.
The former footballer vehemently denies the claims, and is suing cops for an eye-watering £100,000 compensation, the Mirror reports.
He accuses the police of violating his rights by wrongly arresting him, his wife Vivian and his lawyer Chinyere Chigbu over what he argues is a civil dispute involving land.
Some investors reportedly agreed to pay Fashanu over £500,000 for the 22-acre site before the drama unfolded.
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After discovering the investors had sent their workmen to build a perimeter fence on the site, the star and his lawyer began to investigate.
He alleged that they found the fence workmen being bizarrely protected by cops and were both arrested after agreeing to go to the police station to sort out the issue.
Fashanu accused them of “arrest, detention and inhuman treatment” for “about three hours” on December 16.
He added that there were “subsequent intermittent constraints” of his “personal liberty” up to December 19.
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His wife Vivian was also wrong arrested, he alleged, after she went to the police station with him.
Fashanu also alleged he suffered “gross unconstitutional violation” of his rights after cops took away his mobile phone.
The former footballer, nicknamed Fash the Bash, helped Wimbledon win the 1988 FA Cup and played for Aston Villa and won two England caps.
Fashanu was born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, and retained dual British and Nigerian citizenship due to his dad being born there.
He has lived in the capital Abuja for a number of years and has become a prominent name in the country due to his successful career as a footballer and work with the Nigerian FA and the government.
Fashanu’s brother, Justin, was Britain’s first openly gay footballer and the first Black £1 million player before his tragic death in 1998 at 37 years old.
Earlier in March, Fashanu appeared at a hearing of Abuja’s Federal High Court where the case was adjourned by a judge until April 10.
The former footballer’s lawyer Chinyere Chigbu said of the court case: “The court granted the adjournment to give all the respondents enough time to file their counter affidavit.
“It will allow them enough time to properly file their response.”
The lawyer also confirmed that himself and the Fashanu’s are on bail after their arrests.
He added: “All three have perfected their bail conditions.
“They have all met the requirements to be admitted on administrative bail by police.”
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Fashanu filed the case against 12 defendants in the documents.
These include the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector General of Police and police service commission, naming Abuja’s police commissioner, deputy commissioner, chief superintendent and deputy superintendent.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
