Sowore’s 2019 arrest illegal, court declares, awards N1m damages

The 2019 arrest of Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) has been declared illegal by a federal high court sitting in Abuja.

Delivering the judgement on Monday, Justice Obiora Egwuatu also ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to pay Sowore N1m as compensation for violation of his rights.

The court also ruled that the clampdown of the #RevolutionNow protesters in 2019 was illegal.

The DSS had arrested the Sahara Reporters publisher on August 3, 2019, just two days before his planned #RevolutionNow protests across the country.

Despite the court granting him bail, the DSS failed to release him until December 2019.

Despite Sowore’s arrest, the #RevolutionNow protests held as planned on August 5, 2019, with Olawale Bakare also arrested in Osogbo and kept in custody until December when Sowore was released.

After his release, Sowore filed a suit at the federal high court, seeking for, “an order of this court compelling the respondents to pay to the applicant 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, dignity of his person, fair hearing, health, freedom of movement and freedom of association”.

Justice Egwuatu was the third judge handling the case after Justice Ahmed Mohammed recused himself after failing to commence hearing for several months.

Justice Inyang Ekwo also failed to hear the case for several months before it was handed over to Justice Egwuatu.