Court Slams DSS, Awards Sowore ₦30m Over ‘Illegal’ Wanted Declaration

On Friday, the Federal High Court in Lagos ruled that the Nigeria Police acted unlawfully when they declared human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, wanted in 2025.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Justice Musa Kakaaki awarded ₦30 million in damages against the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, for the незаконное designation.

According to details released by Sowore’s lawyer, the court affirmed that no Nigerian should be criminalised for expressing opinions, protesting, or holding the government accountable.

On November 3, 2025, Jimoh publicly declared Sowore wanted over allegations that he planned to lead a protest on the Third Mainland Bridge concerning the demolition of informal settlements in Oworonshoki, Lagos. Earlier in October, the commissioner had directed Sowore, a former presidential candidate, to stay away from Lagos.

Challenging the action, Sowore filed a suit against the commissioner, the IGP, and the police, seeking to enforce 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.

In a sworn affidavit, Sowore stated that he was declared wanted without any prior invitation, arrest warrant, or formal charge. His legal team, led by Tope Temokun, argued that the declaration harmed his reputation and violated his constitutional rights, maintaining that he would have responded to any lawful summons.

He asked the court to nullify the declaration, restrain the police from harassing or arresting him, and award ₦500 million in damages.

The police, however, contested the suit, insisting that the commissioner had the authority to declare him wanted. Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on November 5, 2025, Jimoh maintained that the declaration was still valid and claimed that Sowore failed to report to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Yaba as agreed by his lawyer. He also denied allegations that the IGP had ordered Sowore to be shot on sight, calling the claim false.

In its judgment, the court criticised what it described as unlawful conduct by the police commissioner and held the IGP responsible for the improper action. Justice Kakaaki ruled that a court’s approval is required before any citizen can be declared wanted.

He explained that such a step must be preceded by the issuance of a warrant, proper notification, and evidence that the individual is evading lawful process. Only then can a court authorise the declaration.

The judge further ruled that Jimoh’s October 27, 2025 directive ordering Sowore to stay away from Lagos was arbitrary, unconstitutional, and beyond the powers of the police. The November 3, 2025 public declaration branding him wanted was declared illegal, unconstitutional, and an abuse of power.

Reacting to the verdict, Temokun described the decision as a strong constitutional rebuke against misuse of state authority in Nigeria. He noted that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police faced judicial condemnation, while the Inspector-General of Police was held accountable for the improper exercise of power. He also commended the court for upholding justice, liberty, and constitutional governance.

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