CITIZENS COMPASS— Former Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), on Wednesday, said he has instituted a ₦500million lawsuit against the Nigeria Police Force, Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, for allegedly violating his fundamental rights for declaring him wanted over his role in anti-demolition protest.
Sowore said the declaration by the Commissioner of Police was unlawful and violated his constitutional liberties.
The activist filed the suit before the Federal High Court in Lagos suing the Nigeria Police Force alongside the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and Mr Jimoh, as the respondents.
The suit sought the enforcement of Mr Sowore’s constitutional rights to dignity, liberty, freedom of movement, expression, and peaceful assembly as guaranteed under the Nigerian constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
In an affidavit of urgency sworn by him, accompanying the suit, Mr Sowore said he was declared wanted without any prior invitation, warrant, or formal charge.
He argued, through his team of lawyers led by Tope Temokun, that the police action had impaired his constitutional rights and unlawfully damaged his reputation as a journalist, activist, and former presidential candidate.
He added that he would have honoured any lawful invitation extended to him.
Mr Sowore asked the court to restrain the police from harassing, intimidating, or arresting him and to set aside the public declaration labelling him “wanted.”
He also prayed for an order awarding N500 million in general and exemplary damages against the defendant “for the unlawful, unconstitutional, and oppressive violation” of his fundamental rights.
In separate applications filed along with the substantive suit, Mr Sowore sought an order allowing him to serve the respondents through substituted means and an interim injunction halting the effect of the police declaration pending the hearing of the substantive motion.
Mr Sowore sought an interim order restraining the police from further tagging him as wanted pending the hearing of the motion on notice and another staying the operation of Mr Jimoh’s public declaration.
He stated that failure to grant the injunctions would expose him to continuing harassment.
Meanwhile, the Police Commissioner there is no going back for declaring Sowore wanted.
CP Jimoh disclosed this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, imploring Sowore to report to the police as allegedly agreed by his lawyer.
“My declaration that Sowore is wanted is still in force,” he said.
“But throughout yesterday, he failed to report,” he said. “We will do everything within the ambit of the law to get him arrested, investigated, and prosecuted.
“In Lagos earlier today, I was targeted by @PoliceNG during an anti-demolition protest in Oworonshoki. The deadly squads were sent by Kayode Egbetokun, the illegal Inspector General of Police,” he wrote.
But denying the allegation, Mr Jimoh said, “For him to say that the IGP ordered that he be shot is mischievous,” Mr Jimoh said. “It shows Sowore is planning—and has even begun—to cause mayhem across Lagos. That is why I declared him wanted.
Sowore in a well circulated message wrote, “Sowore has instituted a ₦500million lawsuit against the Nigeria Police Force, Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, for allegedly violating his fundamental rights for declaring him wanted over his role in anti-demolition protest.”
