ACTIVIST and Sahara Reporters’ publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has filed a rights enforcement suit against the police and a former House of Representatives member, Ned Nwoko.
In the suit he filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, Sowore is praying for N200 million damages and public apology from the defendants for his alleged unlawful arrest and detention by the police.
In the suit, the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, and Mr Nwoko are the first to fourth defendants, respectively.
Sowore described Nwoko as an “acclaimed billionaire” in the suit marked FHC/CS/ABJ/239/2022.
He claimed in the suit that the police allegedly instigated by Nwoko, arrested him as he stepped out of the Court of Appeal premises in Abuja where he had visited to monitor a case on February 24, 2022.
“That a horde of police officers of the 1st respondent activated and instigated by the 4th respondent (Nwoko), laid siege at the entrance of the Court of Appeal Abuja on February 24, 2022 while I was attending a court session, and on stepping out of the court, around 4pm of the day, I was arrested by these policemen on the order of the 3rd respondent and on the instigation of the 4th respondent,” Mr Sowore stated in an affidavit he filed in support of his suit.
He said he was eventually taken to a police facility commonly called ‘Abattoir’ in Abuja where he said he was detained up till 9pm on the day of the arrest “without justification whatsoever.”
“I did not at any time breach any known law or commit any crime to justify my arrest and eventual detention by officers of the 1st respondent,” he insisted.
He recalled that Nwoko had through his lawyers, written to Sahara Reporters Media Foundation, demanding the retraction of the publications they alleged were libellous against him.
He said although he is the founder of Sahara Reporters, “a legal entity distinct from me and having its headquarters in New York, USA, while I am now resident in Nigeria”, “I do not in any way determine the stories that are published on the Sahara Reporters platform.”
Sowore urged the court to declare, among other things, that his arrest and detention on February 24, 2022 by the police over a Sahara Reporters’ publication amounts to a breach of his personal liberty and freedom of movement.
He argued that his rights are guaranteed under sections 35(1) of the Nigerian constitution and Articles 6 and 12 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act and prayed the court to order the four defendants to publish a public apology to him in two reputable national dailies for violating his rights.
He is also seeking for an order compelling the defendants to pay him N200 million “as general and exemplary damages” for the violation of his rights.
Sowore to again contest 2023 Presidential election
Meanwhile the activist and publisher on Tuesday formally declared his ambition to again contest for the presidency in 2023 the 2023 general elections.
This will be the second time Sowore will be contesting for the highest office in Nigeria as he had done so in 2019 under the platform of the African Action Congress (AAC).
Sowore made the declaration symbolically when in the early hours of Tuesday he shared a banner with the caption “SOWORE FOR PRESIDENT” on his social media handles without providing details of his renewed ambition.
