Court Declares Sowore’s 2019 Arrest Illegal, Awards Damages Against DSS

Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has declared the arrest and unlawful detention of the human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore on August 3, 2019, by the lawless operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) as illegal.

The court also ordered the DSS to pay the sum of N1 million and aggravated damages to the activist.

The judge gave the order on Monday while ruling on the fundamental rights suits filed by the activist to challenge his unlawful abduction at a Lagos hotel for asking Nigerians to take to the streets and protest against bad governance, insecurity and corruption.

The activist had on November 15, 2019, filed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1407/2019 challenging the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, and Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), for his illegal arrest and detention.

The activist, through his lawyer, Abubakar Marshal, asked the court to declare his unlawful detention by the DSS as “illegal and a gross violation of his fundamental right to liberty”.

He also asked the court for an order compelling the DSS to pay to him the sum of N500,000, 000.00 (Five hundred million naira) as general and aggravated damages for the illegal violation of the applicant’s fundamental right to life, the dignity of his person, fair hearing, health, freedom of movement and freedom of association.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has declared the arrest and unlawful detention of the human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore on August 3, 2019, by the lawless operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) as illegal.

The court also ordered the DSS to pay the sum of N1 million and aggravated damages to the activist.

The judge gave the order on Monday while ruling on the fundamental rights suits filed by the activist to challenge his unlawful abduction at a Lagos hotel for asking Nigerians to take to the streets and protest against bad governance, insecurity and corruption.

The activist had on November 15, 2019, filed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1407/2019 challenging the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, and Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), for his illegal arrest and detention.

The activist, through his lawyer, Abubakar Marshal, asked the court to declare his unlawful detention by the DSS as “illegal and a gross violation of his fundamental right to liberty”.

He also asked the court for an order compelling the DSS to pay to him the sum of N500,000, 000.00 (Five hundred million naira) as general and aggravated damages for the illegal violation of the applicant’s fundamental right to life, the dignity of his person, fair hearing, health, freedom of movement and freedom of association.