Court awards N30 million damages against Lagos CP, police for declaring Sowore wanted
The Lagos Division of the Federal High Court on Friday awarded N30 million in damages against the state commissioner of police, Jimoh Moshood, for declaring human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore wanted in October 2025.
In the case with Suit No: FHC/L/CS/2269/2025: Omoyele Sowore Vs Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, and Two Others, presiding judge Musa Kaakaki held that Mr Moshood’s action was illegal and violated Mr Sowore’s fundamental rights.
Mr Sowore’s legal team was led by human rights lawyer Tope Temokun.
Mr Kaakaki ordered Mr Moshood to pay N30 million to Mr Sowore as compensation for violating his rights.
The Lagos CP had declared Mr Sowore wanted in Lagos in October 2025 while the activist was remanded at the Kuje Correctional Facility in Niger State after the police in Abuja arraigned him for leading a protest in support of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra.
Following Mr Moshood’s declaration in October 2025, Mr Temokun instituted a fundamental rights case under the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The development led the police to file their defence, which was dismissed by Mr Kaakaki on Friday, February 20, 2026.
In an X post after the ruling, Mr Sowore said, “The judgment was clear, firm, and excruciatingly loud in its message: abuse of power has consequences.”
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