Court rebukes Kaduna police for political clampdown, orders ₦15m compensation to ADC, SDP

The Federal High Court in Kaduna has condemned the Kaduna State Police Command for its controversial ban on political gatherings, declaring the action unconstitutional and a blatant abuse of power.

In a landmark ruling delivered on Wednesday, Justice Murtala Zubairu awarded ₦15 million in damages to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), describing the police’s conduct as a “gross violation” of the parties’ constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and association.

The case arose from the disruption of an ADC meeting held on August 30, 2025, in Kaduna — an event attended by former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, and other political leaders. The meeting was violently broken up by thugs who destroyed property and injured several participants.

Following the incident, the Kaduna State Police Command claimed the gathering was illegal, insisting it was organized without prior notification to security agencies. The command subsequently invited el-Rufai and six ADC members for questioning over alleged criminal conspiracy, incitement, and public disturbance.

However, in his judgment, Justice Zubairu ruled that the police acted *ultra vires* — beyond their constitutional powers — and trampled on the rights of opposition parties protected under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“I find and hold that the applicant fundamentally breached their statutory duty and unlawfully infringed upon the counter-claimants’ fundamental rights,” the judge declared. “The applicant’s actions demonstrate a clear pattern of abuse of power, warranting perpetual restraint by the Court.”

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He criticized the police’s blanket prohibition of political meetings in the state, calling it “selective enforcement and a threat to democracy.”

Justice Zubairu further ordered the police to pay ₦15 million in total damages to the affected parties, covering what he termed the “arbitrary suspension” of the ADC meeting, the “unlawful ex-parte injunction” obtained without due process, and the “failure to investigate the August 30 violence.”

In addition, he vacated the ex-parte order earlier secured by the police on September 4, 2025, describing it as “issued without merit and in breach of procedure.”

The court also granted a perpetual injunction restraining the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, his officers, and agents from interfering with the lawful political activities of the ADC and SDP without following due process.

Justice Zubairu went a step further by directing the police to investigate the August 30 attack and submit a comprehensive report to the Kaduna State Attorney-General within 60 days.

Observers have hailed the ruling as a bold reaffirmation of citizens’ constitutional freedoms and a stern warning to law enforcement agencies against being used as tools of political suppression.

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