A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the Inspector-General of Police and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to pay N10 million in damages to #EndSARS protesters for violating their fundamental rights during the October 20, 2024, memorial rally.
Justice Musa Kakaki ruled that the protesters were unjustly harassed, beaten, tear-gassed, and unlawfully detained. He emphasized that police authority must respect democratic rights, including the constitutional freedom of peaceful assembly.
Applicants include Hassan Soweto, Uadiale Kingsley, Ilesanmi Kehinde, Osopale Adeseye, Olamilekan Sanusi, Miss Osugba Blessing, and groups like Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Take It Back Movement (TIBM), and Campaign for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR).
The suit detailed police use of live ammunition, arbitrary arrests, and prolonged detention at Panti Police Station. Lawyer Joseph Opute condemned the excessive force used against protesters exercising their rights outside police-designated locations.