A Federal High Court in Lagos has awarded N10 million in damages to a group of #EndSARS protesters whose fundamental rights were violated by law enforcement agencies during the fourth memorial rally held on October 20, 2024. The judgment was delivered by Justice Musa Kakaki, who faulted the conduct of the police in dispersing the peaceful assembly.
In the ruling, Justice Kakaki stated that the Inspector-General of Police and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police acted unlawfully in deploying force against citizens exercising their constitutional rights. He emphasised that while security agencies are empowered to maintain law and order, their powers must be exercised responsibly and in line with democratic norms.
“The applicants were unjustly harassed,” the judge ruled, adding that the protesters were within their constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and association, as guaranteed under Nigeria’s Constitution. The court’s decision reaffirms the legal protection of civil liberties, especially in the context of peaceful demonstrations.
The applicants in the case included Hassan Soweto, Uadiale Kingsley, Ilesanmi Kehinde, Osopale Adeseye, Olamilekan Sanusi, and Osugba Blessing, among others. The groups backing the applicants included the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Take It Back Movement (TIBM), and the Campaign for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR).
According to the suit, the protesters were met with excessive force during the memorial event. They alleged that officers fired live bullets and tear gas, beat participants, and carried out arbitrary arrests. Detainees were reportedly crammed into a Black Maria before being moved to Panti Police Station, where they were held for hours without formal charges.
“The 1st–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, legal representative for the applicants.
One of the protesters, Hassan Soweto, recounted in an affidavit how they were violently dispersed and unlawfully detained. Soweto, who also serves as the coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign, said the incident was not only traumatic but a stark reminder of the continued assault on civil rights in Nigeria.
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