Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court Abuja, has adjourned the N1.2 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by a human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, against the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and other defendants, to March 10 for a definite hearing.
Sowore had sued the IGP and others over his arrest, detention, and arraignment by the police in Abuja.
At the day’s proceedings, his counsel, Marshal Abubakar, informed the court that the matter was slated for mention and all the defendants, who had been served with hearing notice, were not in court; they gave no reason for their absence.
He prayed the court that the matter be deemed mentioned and a date be fixed for a definite hearing and adoption of processes.
Consequently, the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, adjourned the matter till March 10 for a definite hearing and directed that the hearing notice be served on all the defendants.
Sowore is seeking multiple declarations that his arrest, harassment, restraint, and subsequent arraignment on October 23 and 24, 2025, were “illegal, oppressive, and unlawful.”
In the originating motion, Sowore, through his team of lawyers led by Marshal Abubakar, accused the police of flagrant abuse of power and blatant violation of his constitutionally guaranteed rights to liberty, dignity, and movement.
The motion, brought pursuant to Sections 34, 35, 37, 41, and 46 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Articles 2, 5, 6, and 12 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, seeks several reliefs, including a declaration that:
“The arrest of the applicant by the agents of the respondents on 23rd October, 2025, is illegal, oppressive, unlawful, and constitutes a blatant violation of the applicant’s fundamental right to personal liberty as enshrined in Section 35(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Sowore is also asking the court to declare that his harassment, restraint, and detention on the same date violated his freedom of movement under Section 41(1) of the Constitution and Article 12 of the African Charter.
“The harassment, restraint, arrest, and detention of the applicant by the agents of the respondents on 23rd October, 2025, is illegal, oppressive, unlawful, and constitutes a blatant violation of the applicant’s fundamental right to freedom of movement,” the court document reads in part.
He further described his arraignment on October 24, 2025, as a continuation of the constitutional violations, saying it breached his right to dignity and freedom from arbitrary detention.