Court Awards ₦30M Damages To Sowore Over Unlawful ‘Wanted’ Declaration By Police

 A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Friday awarded N30 million in damages to activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, over his unlawful declaration as a wanted person by the Nigeria Police Force.

In a ruling delivered by Justice M. Kakaki, the court faulted the actions of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, describing their conduct as unconstitutional and a clear breach of Sowore’s fundamental rights.

The suit arose from developments in late 2025, when the Lagos police leadership reportedly warned Sowore on October 27 to stay away from the state and subsequently declared him wanted on November 3.

Sowore challenged the actions, arguing that they lacked legal backing and violated constitutional protections.

In a judgment that spanned over an hour, the court held that the police acted arbitrarily and outside the scope of their lawful authority.

Justice Kakaki ruled that the directive barring Sowore from Lagos had no constitutional foundation and that declaring him wanted without a valid court order amounted to an abuse of power.

The court stressed that no individual can lawfully be declared wanted without adherence to due process, including the issuance of a court warrant and proof that the person is evading legitimate legal proceedings.

It added that the actions of the police infringed on Sowore’s rights to freedom of movement, expression and peaceful civic engagement.

Justice Kakaki further held the Inspector-General of Police vicariously liable for the conduct of the Lagos Commissioner of Police, noting that the violations warranted strong judicial sanction.

Consequently, the court awarded N30 million in damages against the two senior police officers.

Reacting to the verdict, Sowore’s lawyer, Tope Temokun, described the ruling as a landmark affirmation of constitutional democracy and the rule of law.

He said the judgment sends a clear signal that state power must not be used to intimidate or silence citizens.

According to him, the decision represents a wider victory for Nigerians, reinforcing the principle that civil liberties and lawful dissent must be protected against arbitrary state action.