Court Slams Police, Awards Sowore N30m Over Illegal ‘Wanted’ Declaration
✍️ By Tobi | February 20, 2026 | 18:49 PM
The Federal High Court in Lagos has declared that the Nigerian police’s designation of human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore as a wanted person last year was illegal and unconstitutional.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Musa Kakaaki awarded N30 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 unlawfully declaring Sowore wanted.
According to details shared by Sowore’s lawyer, the court held that no Nigerian citizen can be criminalised for speaking out, protesting, or holding the government accountable. The ruling emphasized constitutional protections around freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
Mr. Jimoh had publicly declared Sowore wanted on November 3, 2025, over an attempted protest on the Third Mainland Bridge concerning demolition exercises in parts of Oworonshoki, Lagos. The court’s decision has since sparked fresh debate about civil liberties and police powers in Nigeria.
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