A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered the State Security Service (SSS) to pay the Convener, #RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore, the sum of N2 million over the unlawful seizure of his mobile phone in 2019 at the point of his arrest.
Justice Anwuli Chikere, in a judgment, also ordered the SSS to release forthwith the iPhones and the sum of N10,000 which were alleged to have been forcefully taken away from him without a court warrant.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sowore, through his lawyer, Funmi Falana, in a fundamental rights enforcement suit, had alleged that the operatives of the SSS, on Aug. 3, 2019, at a hotel in Lagos, forcefully took away his iPhones and the sum of N10, 000 when he was arrested on allegations bordering on treasonable felony and terrorism.
The judge ordered the SSS, the 1st respondent in the case, to also tender an apology in two national dailies within two months.
Chikere described the forceful seizure of the personal property of the publisher of SaharaReporters as “illegal, unconstitutional, null and void and gross violation of his fundamental rights as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.
She said the SSS ought to have obtained a court order before the confiscation of his belongings and that the seizure can no be regarded as ‘” temporary” since 2019.
The judge also held that the claim by the SSS that his phones were still under investigation since 2019 over his alleged link with terrorists was untenable, illegal and unconstitutional.
Sowore’s lawyer, Falana, while reacting to the judgement, expressed happiness and described it as a victory for justice.
NAN reports that the SSS had, on Dec 1, told the court that it was still investigating the mobile phones of Sowore still under its custody.
The security outfit stated that contrary to the allegations, the phones were “recovered” during his arrest and not seized.
The agency added that the phones were still being investigated for links to terrorism.
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