BREAKING: Federal High Court In Abuja Declares  Arrest, Detention Of Sowore Illegal, Award 1m Damages Against DSS

The Federal High Court  sitting in Abuja has declared the arrest and unlawful detention of the founder of Sahara Reporters and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore on August 3, 2019, by the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) as illegal.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu, ordered the DSS to pay the sum of N1 million and aggravated damages to the activist.

Sahara Reporters, reported that the judge gave the order on Monday while ruling on the fundamental rights suits filed by the activist to challenge his unlawful abduction at a Lagos hotel for asking Nigerians to take to the streets and protest against bad governance, insecurity and corruption.

It would be recalled that Sowore had on November 15, 2019, filed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1407/2019 challenging the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, and Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), for his illegal arrest and detention.

Sowore, through his lawyer, Abubakar Marshal, asked the court to declare his unlawful detention by the DSS as “illegal and a gross violation of his fundamental right to liberty”.

He also asked the court for an order compelling the DSS to pay to him 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, the dignity of his person, fair hearing, health, freedom of movement and freedom of association.

However, Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has declared the arrest and unlawful detention of the human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore on August 3, 2019, by the lawless operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) as illegal.

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The court also ordered the DSS to pay the sum of N1 million and aggravated damages to the activist.

The judge gave the order on Monday while ruling on the fundamental rights suits filed by the Sowore to challenge his unlawful abduction at a Lagos hotel for asking Nigerians to take to the streets and protest against bad governance, insecurity and corruption.