A Federal High Court in Kano has reaffirmed Nigerians’ constitutional right to peaceful protest, describing the arrest and detention of six members of the Nigeria Patriotic Front Movement (NPFM) as a serious breach of their fundamental rights.
The six activists—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 arrested on September 30, 2024, by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police in Kano State.
They were transferred to the Force Intelligence Department (FID) in Abuja and detained for two days over their planned #EndBadGovernance protest, set for October 1, 2024.
During detention, the organisers were questioned and later released without being charged.
In January 2025, the group approached the Federal High Court in Kano, filing a suit to challenge what they termed unlawful arrest and a violation of their rights.
Delivering judgment on July 23, 2025, Justice S. A. Amobeda ruled in their favour, declaring the actions of the DSS and police as unconstitutional and a violation of their rights.
The judge held 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.”
The judge, therefore, granted an order of perpetual injunction “restraining the Respondents (the Police and DSS), either by themselves, agents, servants and privies from further intimidating, harassing, arresting or threatening to arrest the Applicants.
“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.”
