Police say Sowore N30m damages payment is being handled in Lagos after Federal High Court ruled his ‘wanted’ declaration unlawful

The Nigeria Police Force has stated that the payment of N30 million in damages awarded to Omoyele Sowore is being processed by the appropriate office in Lagos, following a judgment of the Federal High Court which declared his “wanted” status unlawful.

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The Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this while appearing on Politics Today on Channels Television on Monday.

Responding to questions on compliance with the court’s directive, Hundeyin clarified that the judgment specifically named the Lagos State Commissioner of Police as the responsible office.

He said the matter was “being sorted out in Lagos”, stressing that the ruling did not directly instruct the Inspector-General of Police to make the payment.

Hundeyin criticised what he described as misrepresentation, arguing that public commentary had created the impression that the Inspector-General had personally failed to comply with the order.

He further disclosed that the police hierarchy had obtained an injunction restraining Sowore and his platform, Sahara Reporters, from actions the Force described as defamatory and misleading.

Earlier, Sowore had expressed frustration over what he termed non-compliance with the judgment. In a post on his official X account, he stated that Moshood Jimoh and the Nigeria Police Force had yet to pay the N30 million awarded against them.

The dispute stems from a ruling delivered last Friday by Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

The court held that the November 2025 declaration of Sowore as “wanted” by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police violated his fundamental rights and awarded N30 million in damages against both the commissioner and the Inspector-General of Police.

Sowore had been declared wanted on 3 November 2025 following his participation in a protest against demolitions in the Oworonshoki area of Lagos State.

Police authorities at the time accused him of instigating unrest, insisting that affected residents had been duly compensated.

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The exchange marks a renewed chapter in the tense relationship between the activist and law enforcement authorities, as attention now shifts to full compliance with the court’s directive.