Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, on Monday arrived at the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, for the hearing of a fundamental rights enforcement suit he instituted against the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Jimoh Moshood, over his alleged unlawful declaration as a “wanted” person.
Sowore arrived at the court premises at about 9:30 a.m., accompanied by members of his legal team.
The suit, which is before Justice Musa Kakaki, challenges the police commissioner’s action of publicly declaring Sowore wanted on November 3, 2025. The claimant is seeking a judicial pronouncement that the declaration was unconstitutional, unlawful, and a violation of his fundamental rights.
Proceedings in the matter had earlier stalled on Friday, December 5, 2025, following the filing of a fresh counter-affidavit by the respondents. According to a statement issued by Tope Temokun of Tope Temokun Chambers, counsel to Sowore, the respondents arrived in court at about 9:05 a.m. and served the applicant’s legal team with the new counter-affidavit inside the courtroom.
Temokun described the move as a “last-minute ambush,” noting that his team had already filed a Further Affidavit on December 4, 2025, and was fully prepared to proceed with the hearing.
He said the late filing by the police made it necessary for the applicant to request additional time to study the new processes and prepare a Further Affidavit and a Reply on Points of Law.
According to Temokun, the development reflects what he described as a familiar pattern of delay often employed by public officers when called upon to justify alleged unlawful actions.
Following submissions by counsel, Justice Kakaki adjourned the matter to December 9, 2025, for hearing.
Temokun maintained that the legal team remained determined to pursue the case to its conclusion, insisting that procedural delays would not derail the quest for justice.
The suit arises from a public announcement made by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police on November 3, 2025, declaring Sowore “wanted” in connection with a protest against demolition in the Oworonshoki community of Lagos. Sowore’s lawyers argue that the declaration was made without any formal criminal charge, arrest warrant, or publicly disclosed investigation.
Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), contends that the police commissioner’s action violated his constitutional rights to personal liberty, dignity, and freedom of movement.
His legal team insists that the declaration was made outside the confines of the law and amounted to an act of intimidation rather than lawful policing.