Ex-England footballer John Fashanu was arrested over a land dispute in Nigeria and is looking for £100,000 in compensation following the ordeal.
Fashanu, 62, is accused of criminal conspiracy, trespass, intimidation, threat to life and obtaining by false pretence in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, where he now resides.
The previous Millwall, Wimbledon and Aston Villa centre-forward was released on bail and vehemently denies all charges against him.
It’s understood Fashanu accuses Nigerian police of violating his rights and the wrongful arrest of him, in addition to his wife, Vivian, and his lawyer, Chinyere Chigbu, over the civil dispute.
The previous Gladiators presenter, who hosted the favored ITV show alongside Ulrika Jonsson within the mid-Nineteen Nineties, plans to sue for a six-figure fee.
Get personalised updates on I’m A Celeb
Get up to seek out news in your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter.
Enroll to our newsletter after which select your show within the link we’ll send you so we are able to get TV news tailored to you.
In response to The Mirror, ‘a bunch of investors apparently agreed to pay greater than £500,000 for the 22-acre site’. But Fashanu and his lawyer launched an investigation after learning that the investors had sent workmen to construct a fringe fence on the property.
The report claims Fashanu alleged the workmen were being protected by police, with the previous Three Lions striker and his lawyer arrested over ‘serious crimes’ after agreeing to sort out the dispute at a neighborhood police station.
Fashanu now accuses the officers involved of ‘arrest, detention and inhuman treatment’ for ‘about three hours’ on December 16 and ‘subsequent intermittent constraints of his personal liberty’ as much as December 19.
The 1988 FA Cup winner also alleged that he suffered ‘gross unconstitutional violation’ after his cell phone was confiscated by officers.
Fashanu, who was capped twice by England during his playing days, claims he was unable to pursue a job as head coach of the Nigerian national team as a result of the trauma he has suffered within the wake of his arrest.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to an online
browser that
supports HTML5
video
He appeared at a hearing of Abuja’s Federal High Court earlier this month, where the case was adjourned until April 10.
‘The court granted the adjournment to provide all of the respondents enough time to file their counter affidavit,’ Fashanu’s lawyer Chinyere Chigbu said.
‘It’ll allow them enough time to properly file their response.’
Chigbu insisted he, John and Vivian Fashanu had met all the necessities of bail following their arrests.
‘All three have perfected their bail conditions,’ he added.
‘They’ve all met the necessities to be admitted on administrative bail by police.’
Fashanu lodged his case against 12 defendants, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector General of Police and police service commission.
After retiring from skilled football in 1995, Fashanu enjoyed a successful profession in television, co-hosting Gladiators before managing his own football team on Bravo’s Fash FC.
Fashanu has also presented the Nigerian version on Deal or No Deal and featured as a contestant on each I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here! and Dancing on Ice.
While Fashanu was born in Huddersfield, he has dual British-Nigerian citizenship as a result of his father and has lived in Abuja for numerous years.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the newest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE: Gladiators star Giant breaks down in tears with devastating update
MORE: Thomas Tuchel disagrees with Enzo Maresca over Chelsea star’s best position
MORE: Thomas Tuchel confirms whether he’ll sing England’s national anthem
