Facts:

The defendant employed the plaintiff in 1992 as a sales clerk. In February 1984, he was posted to head the defendant’s shop at Ashogbon Street, Lagos. On 17/9/97, some area boys, acting upon the directives of a certain man, demolished their shop along with other shops. 

To safeguard the defendant’s goods, the plaintiff and his assistant proceeded to remove the goods to their second shop nearby. The plaintiff phoned the Sales Director, Mr. Bennett Emerchebe notifying him of what was transpiring. On 29/9/97, he was summoned to the Managing Directors office for questioning about missing goods. After a lot of interrogation by both the M.D and Mr. Emerchebe, he was directed to sign an undertaking to be responsible for the goods missing from the shop. He refused. He was then taken to the police station by Mr. Emechebe the following day upon allegation made to the police that they, the plaintiff and his assistant, vandalised their shop. The plaintiff denied the allegation in a statement written by him, but he was detained for three days in the police station. 

A search by the police of his house yielded no stolen goods. He was released on bail on the 2nd October. He was tortured, dehumanised and embarrassed at the police station and was asked by the police to be reporting everyday. He was subsequently suspended and later dismissed by the defendants.