By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
The Lagos Division of the Federal High Court has awarded N30 million in damages to human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, over his declaration as wanted by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Jimoh Moshood, in October 2025.
Delivering judgment in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/2269/2025 — *Omoyele Sowore v. Commissioner of Police, Lagos State & Ors* — Justice Musa Kaakaki held that the police action was unlawful and amounted to a violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights.
The court consequently ordered the Lagos CP to pay N30 million as compensation to Sowore.
Sowore’s legal team was led by human rights lawyer, Tope Temokun, who instituted the suit under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules following the police declaration.
The activist was declared wanted in Lagos in October 2025 while he was already in custody at the Kuje Correctional Facility in Niger State. He had been remanded by a court in Abuja after being arraigned by the police for allegedly leading a protest in support of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Following the declaration, Sowore approached the Federal High Court in Lagos, challenging the action as unconstitutional and an abuse of power.
In its defence, the police justified the declaration, but the court dismissed the arguments and ruled in favour of the applicant on Friday, February 20, 2026.
Reacting to the judgment in a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sowore described the ruling as a strong rebuke of official overreach.
“The judgment was clear, firm, and excruciatingly loud in its message: abuse of power has consequences,” he wrote.
