The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the Inspector-General of Police and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to pay a total of ₦10 million in damages to a group of #EndSARS protesters for the violation of their fundamental human rights.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice Musa Kakaki ruled that the applicants were unlawfully harassed during the fourth memorial rally of the #EndSARS movement held on October 20, 2024, and that security operatives infringed their constitutional rights.

The court held that while law enforcement agencies have the constitutional duty to maintain public order, such powers must be exercised in accordance with democratic principles and the rule of law. Any deviation from these standards, the judge said, amounts to a breach of citizens’ rights.

The applicants in the case include Hassan Taiwo Soweto, Uadiale Kingsley, Ilesanmi Kehinde, Osopale Adeseye, Olamilekan Sanusi, and Osugba Blessing. The suit was also supported by civil society organisations such as the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Take It Back Movement (TIBM), and the Campaign for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR).

Justice Kakaki affirmed that the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, as enshrined in Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), must be upheld at all times. He noted that the protesters acted within the bounds of the law and that the police’s response to the memorial event amounted to a violation of their civil liberties.