Omoyele Sowore, a human rights activist, has brought the Nigeria Police Force, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory, before the Federal High Court in Abuja, demanding ₦1.2 billion in damages for what he claims was an unlawful arrest, detention, and arraignment by Abuja police officers.
A group of 20 human rights attorneys led by Tope Temokun filed the lawsuit, requesting multiple declarations that his detention and arraignment on October 23 and 24, 2025, were “illegal, oppressive, and unlawful.”
Sowore claimed that the police actions constituted a “blatant violation” of his constitutional rights to liberty, dignity, and movement in the lawsuit he filed in accordance with Sections 34, 35, 37, 41, and 46 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Articles 2, 5, 6, and 12 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“The arrest of the applicant by the agents of the respondents on October 23, 2025, is illegal, oppressive, unlawful, and constitutes a blatant violation of the applicant’s fundamental right to personal liberty as enshrined in Section 35(1) of the 1999 Constitution,” the activist said, directly quoting the motion.
Sowore further claimed that Section 41(1) of the Constitution, which protects freedom of movement, was violated by his harassment, confinement, and restraint.
According to the petition, “the applicant’s fundamental right to freedom of movement is blatantly violated by the harassment, restraint, arrest, and detention of the applicant by the respondents’ agents.”
The activist described in his supporting affidavit how he was detained while attending a court appearance on the grounds of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Sowore stated, “I was arrested on October 23, 2025, in the vicinity of this honorable court due to allegations that I participated in a nonviolent protest that the complainants claimed violated a previous order made by this honorable court.”
He also claimed that he had never received such an order and accused the police of adopting “self-help rather than due process.”
In addition to ₦1 billion in punitive and exemplary damages for the “illegal violation of his fundamental human rights,” Sowore’s legal team is requesting that the court order the defendants to jointly pay ₦200 million in general damages for the unlawful arrest and imprisonment.
Additionally, the lawsuit requests an injunction requiring the FCT Commissioner of Police, the Nigeria Police Force, and the IGP to publicly apologize for breaching Sowore’s rights in at least three national newspapers.
Additionally, the activist is requesting that the court order the Attorney General of the Federation to take disciplinary action against the IGP and the FCT Police Commissioner in accordance with the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act and the Anti-Torture Act of 2017.
The lawsuit states that “the applicant is entitled to an order compelling the respondents to pay ₦1.2 billion as damages and to tender public apologies for the blatant violation of his fundamental rights without following due process of law.”
The Nigerian Constitution, the African Charter, and other international human rights treaties that Nigeria is bound by were all violated by the police’s actions, according to the original motion.
Sowore’s attorneys argued that “the respondents’ actions constitute a gross violation of Sections 34(1), 35, 37, and 41 of the Constitution and Articles 2, 5, 6, and 12 of the African Charter.”
Twenty human rights attorneys, including Marshal Abubakar, Pelumi Olajengbesi, Inibehe Effiong, Deji Adeyanju, Ahmed Tijjani Yusuf, Rahila Dauda, Festus Ogun, and Michael Owolabi, signed the lawsuit, which was filed under the legal firm Steel Attorneys.
The Federal High Court Cashier’s Office in Abuja formally filed and acknowledged the case on November 12, 2025, according to court papers that SaharaReporters was able to obtain.
