Pro-democracy campaigner and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has filed a ₦1.2 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, the Nigeria Police Force, the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
The lawsuit, filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenges what Sowore described as his “illegal arrest, detention, and arraignment” by police operatives in the nation’s capital in late October.
According to court documents obtained by Chronicle Reporters on Wednesday, Sowore is seeking multiple declarations from the court that his arrest, harassment, and subsequent arraignment on October 23 and 24, 2025, were “unlawful, oppressive, and unconstitutional.”
The suit was filed through a coalition of prominent human rights lawyers led by Tope Temokun, Marshal Abubakar, Pelumi Olajengbesi, Inibehe Effiong, Deji Adeyanju, and several others, accusing the police of “flagrant abuse of power” and “gross violation of constitutionally guaranteed rights to liberty, dignity, and movement.”
Brought pursuant to 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 motion seeks a series of declarations and consequential orders.
In the originating motion, Sowore urged the court to declare that his arrest on October 23, 2025, was “illegal, oppressive, and a blatant violation” of his right to personal liberty as protected under Section 35(1) of the Constitution.
He also asked the court to declare that his harassment and restraint on that same day constituted an infringement of his freedom of movement under Section 41(1) and Article 12 of the African Charter.
“The harassment, restraint, arrest, and detention of the applicant by the agents of the respondents on 23rd October, 2025, is illegal, oppressive, and constitutes a blatant violation of the applicant’s fundamental right to freedom of movement,” the motion reads in part.
Sowore further described his arraignment on October 24, 2025, as a continuation of the rights violations, alleging that it breached his dignity and liberty.
“The arraignment of the applicant by the agents of the respondents is illegal and oppressive, amounting to a violation of his fundamental rights to liberty and dignity,” the document states.
In a sworn affidavit supporting the motion, Sowore narrated that he was arrested within the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja, while attending to other legal proceedings. The activist said police officers accused him of participating in a peaceful protest, which they claimed violated a prior court order — an allegation he denied.
“No order was ever served on me by the respondents,” he stated, accusing the police of resorting to “self-help rather than due process.”
The activist also asked the court to compel the Attorney General of the Federation to initiate disciplinary action against the IGP and the FCT Commissioner of Police under the Anti-Torture Act of 2017 and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP).
Among other reliefs sought, Sowore is asking for:
- ₦200 million as general damages for unlawful arrest and detention.
- ₦1 billion as punitive and exemplary damages for the violation of his fundamental human rights.
- A public apology from the respondents, to be published in at least three national newspapers.
“The applicant is entitled to ₦1.2 billion in total damages and public apologies for the blatant violation of his rights without due process,” the suit reads.
Sowore’s legal team argued that the police actions amount to oppression, abuse of power, and a violation of human dignity, contrary to the Nigerian Constitution, the African Charter, and international human rights treaties binding on Nigeria.
“The respondents’ conduct constitutes 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,” the motion stated.
The suit was signed by a team of 20 human rights lawyers, including Ahmed Tijjani Yusuf, Hamza Dantani, Rahila Dauda, Festus Ogun, Michael Owolabi, Faruq Kemiel, and others under the Steel Attorneys Legal Partnership, based in Abuja.
Court records sighted by Chronicle Reporters confirm that the case was officially filed on November 12, 2025, and acknowledged by the Federal High Court Cashier’s Office in Abuja.
As of press time, neither the Nigeria Police Force nor the Attorney General’s Office had issued an official response to the lawsuit.