The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned to March 10 the ₦1.2 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by human rights activist Omoyele Sowore against the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and other defendants.
Justice Mohammed Umar fixed the date on Tuesday after Sowore’s counsel, Marshal Abubakar, told the court that the matter was scheduled for mention but none of the defendants appeared, despite having been served with hearing notices. According to the lawyer, no explanation was offered for their absence.
Abubakar urged the court to deem the case mentioned and to set a date for a definite hearing and adoption of processes. The judge granted the request, adjourned proceedings to March 10, and directed that fresh hearing notices be served on all the defendants.
Sowore is challenging his arrest, detention, and subsequent arraignment by the police in Abuja, describing the actions as illegal, oppressive, and a violation of his fundamental rights. He is seeking multiple declarations that his arrest on October 23, 2025, and arraignment the following day were unlawful and unconstitutional.
In the originating motion, filed through a team of lawyers led by Abubakar, the activist accused the police of abusing their powers and violating his rights to personal liberty, dignity, and freedom of movement as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
He contends that his arrest within the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja, while attending legal proceedings, was carried out without due process and was linked to allegations of his involvement in a peaceful protest. Sowore argued that the police resorted to self help rather than lawful procedures.
The suit also challenges his detention and arraignment as a continuation of the alleged constitutional breaches, claiming they amounted to arbitrary detention and an affront to his dignity as a citizen.
Among the reliefs sought, Sowore is asking the court to order the Attorney General of the Federation to initiate disciplinary action against the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory under relevant laws, including the Anti Torture Act and the Violence Against Persons Act.
