Human rights activist, Olamide Thomas, has filed a lawsuit against the Nigeria Police Force for allegedly violating her fundamental rights through unlawful arrest and detention.
The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on December 17, 2024, with case number FHC/ABJ/CS, names the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Commissioner of Police, National Cybercrime Center, as the 1st to 3rd respondents, respectively.
Thomas, through her legal team comprising Dr. S. M. Oyeghe, Inibehe Effiong, and Abubakar Marshall, is seeking a declaration that her arrest and detention since December 13, 2024, allegedly over a Facebook video, constitutes a violation of her constitutional rights to dignity, liberty, and movement.
The suit reads in part: “A declaration that the arrest and detention of the Applicant by the Respondents since Friday, 13th December, 2024, and exposing her to inhuman and degrading treatment constitutes a gross violation of her fundamental right to dignity, as protected by Section 34(1)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, and Article 5 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”
Thomas also described the forceful movement from her residence in Shomolu, Lagos, to Abuja on December 14, 2024, as unlawful and a breach of her right to freedom of movement under Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution.
Among the reliefs sought by the activist are:
A declaration that her arrest and detention are illegal and unlawful.
An order compelling the respondents to release her immediately or charge her to court.
An order restraining the respondents from further arresting or detaining her unlawfully.
N100 million in damages for the alleged infringement on her fundamental rights.
A public apology to be published in at least two national newspapers.
Thomas’ legal counsel emphasized that the case was necessary to ensure accountability and justice in the face of “glaring violations of fundamental human rights.”
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