In a landmark victory for democracy and civil liberties, the Federal High Court in Kano has reaffirmed the constitutional right of all Nigerians to engage in peaceful protest.
The Organising Secretary, Nigeria Patriotic Front Movement (NPFM), Yusha’u Sani Yankuzo, Esq, explained that on September 30, 2024, six members of the Nigeria Patriotic Front Movement (NPFM)—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 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, where they were detained and interrogated for two days over their involvement in organising the #EndBadGovernance protests scheduled for October 1st. Their release came as unexpectedly as their arrest.
In January 2025, the six organizers filed a fundamental human rights suit against the Nigeria Police Force and the DSS. In the ruling delivered on July 23, 2025, Hon. Justice S. A. Amobeda of the Federal High Court declared:
The arrest of the Applicants for planning a peaceful protest on economic hardship and food inflation violated Sections 35, 40, and 41 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), infringing on their rights to Freedom of Association and Peaceful Assembly.
The Applicants’ rights to Freedom of Expression are protected under Section 39 of the Constitution and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, L.F.N. 2010.
The Police and DSS, including their agents, are restrained from further intimidating, harassing, or threatening the Applicants.
In his judgment, Justice Amobeda stated:
“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 in the interest of national security, public safety, or the prevention of disorder or crime. The protest planned by the Applicants reflects a national interest concerning the harsh economic policies affecting citizens. The Respondents should allow the Applicants to breathe—and breathe freely—in a democratic society such as ours.”
This ruling stands as a resounding affirmation of Nigeria’s commitment to the principles of democracy, the rule of law, and the protection of civic freedoms.
