The Lagos Division of the Federal High Court on Friday ordered the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Jimoh Moshood, to pay N30 million in damages to human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, for unlawfully declaring him wanted in October 2025.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Musa Kaakaki in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/2269/2025 — Omoyele Sowore v. Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, and Two Others — the court held that the police commissioner’s action was illegal and constituted a violation of Mr Sowore’s fundamental rights.
The court found that declaring Mr Sowore wanted while he was already in lawful custody amounted to an abuse of power and a breach of constitutionally guaranteed rights. Justice Kaakaki consequently awarded N30 million in compensation against Mr Moshood.
Mr Sowore was declared wanted by the Lagos police in October 2025, despite being remanded at the Kuje Correctional Facility in Niger State at the time.
He had earlier been arraigned in Abuja for leading a protest in support of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra.
Following the declaration, Mr Sowore’s legal team, led by prominent human rights lawyer Tope Temokun, instituted a fundamental rights enforcement suit under the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
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The police filed a defence in response to the suit. However, the court dismissed their arguments and ruled in favour of the activist on Friday, February 20, 2026.
Reacting to the judgment in a post on X shortly after the ruling, Mr Sowore described the decision as a significant rebuke of official overreach.
“The judgment was clear, firm, and excruciatingly loud in its message: abuse of power has consequences,” he wrote.
The ruling is expected to spark conversations within legal and civil rights circles about the limits of police powers and the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights, particularly in politically sensitive cases.
For Mr Sowore, who has long positioned himself as a vocal critic of state authority, the judgment represents both legal vindication and a symbolic victory in his protracted confrontations with law enforcement authorities.