The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has instituted a N5 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 an alleged 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 October 13, 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.
The legal action was based on the plaintiff’s claim 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.
According to a statement by Sowore’s lawyer, Mr Peter Femi Joseph, following an order by Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, on June 22, 2026, directing 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, operatives of the agency including armed men and women wearing hoods, stormed the fourth floor of the Federal High Court building in a bid to arrest him.
The statement further claimed that 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 maintained 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 contended 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.
Meanwhile, video evidence of the alleged attack, which the plaintiff disclosed was captured with Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, forms part of evidence to be presented as evidence in proof of Sowore’s case.
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 contended that the alleged physical assault, forcible removal, intimidation, and false detention constituted violations of these fundamental rights.
He 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 is asking the Federal High Court to award him N5 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 alleged unlawfulness of the conduct complained of, appropriate injunctive and consequential orders, and any further relief the court considers justified.
Kano Committed to High-impact Health Research, Says KIRCT
Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano
The Kano Independent Research Centre Trust (KIRCT) has disclosed that it will continue to provide high-impact services and cutting-edge research outcomes capable of addressing existing and emerging health challenges in Kano, Nigeria, and beyond.
The Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Centre, Prof. Aliyu Abdu, disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the Advanced Bioinformatics Workshop organised by KIRCT in Kano yesterday.
He said KIRCT is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to enable scientists to conduct advanced research locally without travelling abroad, adding that its researchers are currently working on several health areas, including genomics, breast cancer, antimicrobial resistance, vaccines and others.
Prof. Abdu noted that the Centre has also established mutually beneficial collaborations with research institutions within and outside the region, with plans to expand globally.
According to him, the training covered young scientists to conduct impactful research,s which is one of the mandates of the Centre.
He commended the diversity of the workshop participants, especially with regard to gender distribution, and urged the participants to apply the knowledge to be gained from the workshop for the benefit of humanity.
He thanked the funders of the Centre, Pfizer Inc. and the Kano State Government, for their support, and lauded the board and management of the Centre for the progress it recorded.
In his remarks, the Special Adviser to the Kano State Governor on Health Services and member of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Ibrahim Musa Idris, reaffirmed the state government’s support for the Centre.
He said the administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is pleased with the Centre’s impressive progress, expressing optimism that the Centre will soon be on the global map for providing innovative health solutions.