You will recall that on the 30th of September 2024 six members of the Nigeria Patriotic Front Movement (NPFM), namely, Barr. Yusha’u Sani Yankuzo, Comrade Abdulmajid Yakubu Daudu, Barr. Amina Bello, Comrade Anas Ado Ahmad, Comrade Sani Ibrahim Narogo and Comrade Abdullahi Adamu Mandawari, were abruptly arrested by the combined forces of the State Security Service (aka DSS) and the Police in Kano State and taken to Force Intelligence Department (FID), Abuja, and detained for two grueling days in connection with the 1st October #EndBadGovernance Protests. While in detention the six peaceful protest organizers were subjected to interrogations. Subsequently they were released as abruptly as they were arrested.
However, in January, 2025, the six peaceful protest organisers filed a fundamental rights suit against the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service (aka DSS) before the Federal High Court Kano. And in a landmark judgement delivered on the 23rd day of July, 2025, His Lordship Hon. Justice S. A. Amobeda declared as follows:
- That the arrest of the Applicants (the six protest organisers) by the officers of the Respondents (the Police and DSS) with the sole aim of preventing the Applicants from staging a peaceful protest against economic hardship, food inflation and food crisis in Nigeria is contrary to the provisions of Section 35, 40 and 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended) and it therefore constituted gross violation of the Applicants’ Fundamental Rights to Freedom of Association and Peaceful Assembly guaranteed thereof.
- That the Applicants (the six protest organisers) are entitled to their Rights to Freedom of Expression as guaranteed by Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended) and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act L.F.N. 2010.
- AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the Respondents (the Police and DSS), either by themselves, agents, servants and privies from further intimidating, harrasing, arresting or threatening to arrest the Applicants.
In his sound judgement, Hon. Justice S. A. Amobeda held: “I must say that by the provision of Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution as altered, every person including the Applicants, has a right to peaceful protest and no restrictions shall be placed on it unless it is in the interests of national security, public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime or for the protection of health. It is clear that the planned protest of the Applicants hinged on national interest, which has to do with the harsh economic policies, hardship and inflation affecting the citizens of the country. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Respondents should allow the Applicants to breathe, and breathe freely and exercise their rights to its fullest in a democratic society such as ours.”
This watershed judgement is a monumental victory for DEMOCRACY and RULE OF LAW in Nigeria.
Yusha’u Sani Yankuzo, Esq.
Organizing Secretary,
Nigeria Patriotic Front Movement (NPFM)
Their phones were returned to them and they are filing a separate suite for compensation.
