Proceedings in the fundamental rights enforcement suit were stalled on Friday, December 5, 2025, following the submission of a fresh counter-affidavit by the police.
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has arrived at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, for the hearing of a suit he filed against the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Jimoh Moshood, over an unlawful declaration of him as a “wanted” person by the police.
Sowore, who arrived at the court premises at around 9:30 am, was accompanied by his lawyers.
Proceedings in the fundamental rights enforcement suit were stalled on Friday, December 5, 2025, following the submission of a fresh counter-affidavit by the police.
The case, which came up before Justice Musa Kakaki, seeks a judicial declaration that the Lagos Commissioner of Police acted unconstitutionally when he publicly declared Sowore “wanted” on November 3, 2025.
According to a statement issued by Tope Temokun of Tope Temokun Chambers, legal representative to Sowore, the Respondents arrived in court at about 9:05 a.m. and served the Applicant’s legal team with a new counter-affidavit right inside the courtroom, a development he described as a “last-minute ambush” that disrupted the scheduled hearing.
WATCH: Omoyele Sowore Arrives Lagos, Set To Appear At Federal High Court To Challenge Illegal Wanted Declaration By CP Jimoh Moshood pic.twitter.com/cyosnuK8pj
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) December 9, 2025
Temokun said his team had already filed a Further Affidavit on December 4, 2025, and was prepared to proceed with the hearing.
However, the police’s late filing made it necessary to seek more time to prepare a comprehensive response, including a Further Affidavit and a Reply on Points of Law.
He described the Respondents’ action as part of “the all-too-familiar tactic of delay, a pattern consistently deployed when public officers are called to justify unlawful or arbitrary actions.”
Following the development, the court adjourned the matter to December 9, 2025 for hearing.
Temokun stressed that the legal team remained resolute, saying “justice will not be ambushed for long by these evasive maneuvers, procedural theatrics, and escapist gamesmanship.”
The case stems from a public announcement made by the Lagos Commissioner of Police on November 3, 2025, in which he declared Omoyele Sowore “wanted” for participating in a protest against demolition in Oworonshoki community in Lagos, allegations that were not backed by a formal charge, arrest warrant, or ongoing criminal investigation made available to the public.
Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has long been a vocal critic of government abuses and a frequent target of law enforcement actions.
Sowore argues that the CP’s public declaration amounted to a violation of his constitutional rights to personal liberty, dignity, and freedom of movement, prompting him to institute the fundamental rights suit at the Federal High Court.
His lawyers maintain that the CP acted outside the scope of his powers and used the declaration as a tool of intimidation.