A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the Inspector-General of Police and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to jointly pay ₦10 million in damages to a group of #EndSARS protesters, following their unlawful harassment and detention during the October 20, 2024, fourth memorial rally.
Delivering judgment, Justice Musa Kakaki ruled that the fundamental rights of the protesters were violated without lawful justification, noting that law enforcement agencies, while empowered to maintain public order, must operate within constitutional limits.
The court affirmed that the applicants were within their constitutional right to peaceful assembly and association, as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The applicants include rights activists Hassan Soweto, Uadiale Kingsley, Ilesanmi Kehinde, Osopale Adeseye, Olamilekan Sanusi, and Osugba Blessing, alongside civil society organisations such as the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Take It Back Movement (TIBM), and the Campaign for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR).
According to court filings, the protesters were tear-gassed, beaten, and unlawfully arrested, with some being held in a Black Maria for hours before transfer to Panti Police Station, where they were detained without charge for four more hours.
“The 1st to 3rd respondents deployed the full might of the police force against the applicants under the guise that they exercised their constitutionally guaranteed rights outside a location permitted by the 4th and 5th respondents,” said Joseph Opute, counsel to the applicants.
Justice Kakaki emphasized that no individual or authority is above the law, and ordered the ₦10 million compensation as redress for the gross abuse of power and violation of civil liberties.
This ruling marks a significant victory for civil rights advocates and underscores the judiciary’s role in upholding democratic freedoms in Nigeria.
