A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has awarded ₦10 million in damages against the Inspector-General of Police and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police for violating the rights of citizens who participated in the #EndSARS fourth memorial rally held on October 20, 2024.

Justice Musa Kakaki, who delivered the ruling, declared that the applicants were unjustly harassed and subjected to unlawful treatment by police officers during the peaceful rally. He emphasized that while law enforcement agencies are empowered to maintain public order, such powers must be exercised in accordance with democratic principles and the rule of law.

The court affirmed that the applicants were exercising their constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and association, as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The applicants in the suit include Hassan Soweto, Uadiale Kingsley, Ilesanmi Kehinde, Osopale Adeseye, Olamilekan Sanusi, and Miss Osugba Blessing, among others. They were supported by civil rights groups such as the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Take It Back Movement (TIBM), and the Campaign for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR).

According to the protesters’ account, police officers disrupted the memorial event by firing live ammunition and tear gas, brutally assaulting participants, and conducting arbitrary arrests. Detainees were reportedly confined in a Black Maria for several hours before being transferred to Panti Police Station, where they were held without charges for an additional four hours.

In his affidavit, Hassan Soweto, the first applicant and coordinator of the ERC, said they were “beaten, tear-gassed, and unlawfully detained without any formal accusation.”