Court Orders Police to Pay N30m Damages for Declaring Sowore Wanted

The Federal High Court in Lagos has awarded ₦30 million in damages against the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for unlawfully declaring activist Omoyele Sowore wanted.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Musa Kakaaki held that the police action breached constitutional safeguards and amounted to an abuse of power. The court awarded the damages jointly against the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh.

In a ruling, the judge declared that no Nigerian can be criminalised for exercising the rights to freedom of speech, peaceful protest, or holding public officials accountable.

He described the actions of the Lagos police command as “lawless” and held the IGP responsible for misconduct carried out under his authority.

The court ruled that an individual can only be declared wanted after the issuance of a valid court warrant, proper notification, and credible evidence that the person is evading lawful judicial process.

Justice Kakaaki further nullified a warning issued by Commissioner Jimoh on October 27, 2025, directing Sowore to stay away from Lagos State, describing it as arbitrary and unconstitutional.

Similarly, the public notice of November 3, 2025, declaring him wanted was declared illegal, ultra vires, and a grave abuse of authority.

Sowore had challenged the police action in court, seeking enforcement of his fundamental rights to dignity, personal liberty, freedom of movement, expression, and peaceful assembly under the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. He also sought ₦500 million in damages, though the court awarded ₦30 million.

The police had defended their action, insisting the commissioner acted within his powers and that Sowore failed to honour an invitation to report to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Yaba.

However, the court held that the declaration lacked lawful foundation and reaffirmed the necessity for strict procedural compliance before branding any citizen wanted.