Sowore sues DSS DG, Director, demands N5 billion over alleged brutal attack, abduction inside FHC

The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), human rights activist, journalist, and publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore, has instituted a ₦5 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Department of State Services (DSS), its Director-General, Tosin Ajayi, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), and a Deputy Director of the DSS, Benjamin Bulus, over a violent attack and abduction carried out by armed, hooded DSS operatives within the premises of the Federal High Court in Abuja on 22 June 2026.

The suit, filed on 13 October 2026 and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2480/2026, challenges the legality of the DSS operation and seeks judicial redress for violations of Sowore’s constitutionally guaranteed rights to human dignity and personal liberty.

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In a statement by the Legal Counsel to the presidential candidate of Action Alliance, Peter Femi Joseph, Esq. and made available to CAPITAL POST on Tuesday in Abuja, stated that the
legal course of action arises from an incident in which Sowore states in court filings that DSS operatives, acting outside the scope of a judicial remand order, violently attacked him within the Federal High Court complex and forcibly transported him in elevators reserved for Federal High Court judges to the basement of the building against his will, injuring him in the process of the violent attack.

DSS Operatives Stormed Court, Attacked and Abducted Sowore
On 22 June 2026, Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered Sowore’s remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of his application seeking a stay of the order revoking his bail and the bench warrant issued against him.

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According to the court processes, while Sowore was awaiting the arrival of correctional officers responsible for implementing the remand order, a group of DSS operatives, including armed men and women wearing hoods, stormed the fourth floor of the Federal High Court building.

The operatives descended on Sowore, physically assaulted him, and forcibly removed him from the area before transporting him against his will to the basement of the court complex.

Sowore maintains that he had committed no offence warranting such an operation and that the DSS had no lawful authority to assault, abduct, intimidate, or subject him to degrading treatment within the premises of a court of law.
He further contends that the operation was intended to intimidate and harm him, notwithstanding the existence of a judicial order specifying the lawful process for his remand.

The suit identifies Tosin Ajayi, the DG of the DSS and Benjamin Bulus, a Deputy Director and operative of the DSS, as the officer who led the operation.
Video Evidence Captured with Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses.

A significant aspect of the action is video evidence of the incident was captured using Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.

The recording forms part of the materials relied upon by Sowore to establish the circumstances of the attack, the conduct of the operatives involved, and the sequence of events within the court premises.

The footage has been presented as evidence for the Court’s consideration, subject to the applicable rules governing admissibility, authenticity, and evidential weight.

Sowore maintains that the recording provides important visual evidence of what transpired and supports his contention that the operation was neither justified by the remand order nor consistent with constitutional protections.

Fundamental Rights Violations and Constitutional Accountability
The suit invokes Sections 34 and 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which guarantee the rights to dignity of the human person and personal liberty.
The Applicant contends that the alleged physical assault, forcible removal, intimidation, and false detention constituted violations of these fundamental rights.

The action asks the Federal High Court to determine whether DSS operatives acted unlawfully, exceeded the authority conferred by the relevant judicial orders, and subjected Sowore to unconstitutional treatment.

It also seeks to establish the respective legal responsibilities of the DSS, its Director-General, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and Benjamin Bulus for the misconduct.

Sowore’s position is that a judicial remand order cannot constitute a licence for security operatives to assault, intimidate, or abduct a defendant within the premises of a court.Sowore Demands ₦5 Billion in Aggravated Damages
Among the reliefs sought, Sowore is asking the Federal High Court to award him ₦5 billion in aggravated damages over the alleged assault, abduction, humiliation, intimidation, and infringement of his constitutionally protected rights.

He is also seeking declarations concerning the unlawfulness of the conduct complained of, appropriate injunctive and consequential orders, and any further relief the Court considers justified.

The Applicant maintains that the alleged conduct represents a serious abuse of state power, particularly because it occurred within a Federal High Court complex, where citizens should ordinarily be protected by the authority and dignity of the judicial process.
The claims remain allegations before the Court, and no determination of liability has yet been made in this action.

Second DSS Abduction of Sowore Inside a Federal High Court forms a pattern of malice bad intent against his person
This is not the first time Sowore has accused DSS operatives of forcibly abducting him within the premises of the Federal High Court.

On 6 December 2019, during the administration of former late President Muhammadu Buhari, DSS operatives attempted to rearrest Sowore at the Federal High Court in Abuja during proceedings before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu in connection with the treason-related charges brought against him following the #RevolutionNow protests.

That incident attracted widespread public condemnation, even led to a parliamentary inquiry about the conduct of security operatives within judicial premises. Sowore subsequently instituted legal proceedings against the DSS and obtained a judgment awarding damages against the agency.

According to Sowore, the DSS has failed to comply with Justice Egwuatu’s monetary award.

The latest action therefore aims at exposing and challenging the conduct of the DSS within judicial premises, the enforcement of fundamental rights judgments, and the accountability of federal security agencies.

No Security Agency Is Above the Constitution. The Applicant maintains that security agencies are bound by the Constitution and cannot invoke national security, executive authority, or judicial proceedings as justification for actions that violate fundamental rights.

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