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By Oscar Okhifo
A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Jimoh Moshood to jointly pay the sum of ₦10 million as compensation to a group of #EndSARS memorial protesters for the violation of their fundamental rights.
Justice M. Kakaki delivered the judgment on Thursday, ruling in favour of 22 individuals and three civil society organisations- Education Rights Campaign, Take It Back Movement, and the Campaign for the Defence of Human Rights , who filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit.
The applicants, including prominent activists such as Hassan Taiwo Soweto, Uadiale Kingsley, Ilesanmi Kehinde, and Funmilayo Jolade Ajayi, had participated in a peaceful procession at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos on October 20, 2024, to mark the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests.
According to the suit, the demonstrators were harassed, arrested, and unlawfully detained in a police van for several hours before being released without any formal charges.
In his ruling, Justice Kakaki declared that the actions of the police infringed upon the applicants’ constitutional rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association as enshrined in Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
While acknowledging the police’s statutory duty to maintain law and order, the judge stressed that such responsibilities must be carried out within the confines of democratic principles and the rule of law.
“The applicants were unjustly harassed and their rights infringed upon during a lawful and peaceful procession. This court holds that their arrest and detention were unconstitutional,” Justice Kakaki stated.
The court therefore awarded ₦10 million in damages against the Inspector-General of Police and the Lagos Commissioner of Police, to be paid jointly to the applicants.
The judgment has been welcomed by rights groups as a reaffirmation of civil liberties and a step forward in holding security agencies accountable in Nigeria. However, critics argue that the ₦10 million compensation falls short of justice, describing it as a slap on the wrist for those who unleashed violence on peaceful and unarmed citizens.