A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has awarded the sum of N30 million in damages to activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, after ruling that his declaration as a wanted person by the Nigeria Police Force was unlawful and a gross violation of his fundamental rights.
Justice M. Kakaki, who delivered the judgment on Friday in a ruling that lasted over an hour, squarely faulted the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, describing their conduct as unconstitutional and a clear abuse of executive power.
The suit stemmed from events in late 2025, when the Lagos police leadership warned Sowore on October 27 to stay away from the state, and subsequently declared him wanted on November 3, without any valid court order backing either action.
Sowore challenged both directives, contending that they lacked legal foundation and ran contrary to constitutional guarantees protecting every Nigerian citizen.
Justice Kakaki agreed, holding that the police acted arbitrarily and well outside the bounds of their lawful authority.
The court ruled that the directive barring Sowore from Lagos had no constitutional basis whatsoever, and that declaring him wanted without first obtaining a court warrant amounted to nothing short of an abuse of power.
The court further stressed that no Nigerian can be lawfully declared wanted unless due process is strictly observed, including the procurement of a valid court warrant and demonstrable evidence that the individual is evading legitimate legal proceedings.
Justice Kakaki additionally held that the actions of the police flagrantly infringed on Sowore’s rights to freedom of movement, freedom of expression and peaceful civic engagement, all of which are guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution.
The Inspector-General of Police was further held vicariously liable for the conduct of the Lagos Commissioner of Police, with the court ruling that the severity of the violations warranted strong judicial sanction.
Consequently, the N30 million damages were awarded against both senior police officers.
Reacting to the verdict, Sowore’s counsel, Tope Temokun, described the ruling as a landmark affirmation of constitutional democracy and the rule of law, insisting that the judgment sends an unambiguous signal that state power must never be weaponised to intimidate or silence citizens.
“This decision represents a wider victory for all Nigerians. It reinforces the principle that civil liberties and lawful dissent must be protected against arbitrary state action,” Temokun declared.
