In a landmark judgment on Wednesday, a High Court in Kaduna State dismissed actions by the Kaduna State
Commissioner of Police and awarded ₦15 million in damages to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Social
Democratic Party (SDP). The case stemmed from attempts by police to prevent political gatherings involving
Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and other opposition leaders. The dispute arose after two meetings scheduled by the ADC and SDP
in Kaduna on August 30 and September 4, 2025 were forcibly disrupted. On August 30, hired thugs reportedly halted the
gathering in the sight of police officers. On September 4, the police themselves intervened, citing an ex parte injunction
they had obtained in Suit No. KDH/KAD/NPD/1315/2025. Justice Murtala J. Zubairu presided over the case and found that the police had exceeded
their constitutional and statutory roles. The court declared that the police’s attempt to impose a blanket ban on political
assemblies was oppressive, selective, and exorbitant. It held that the actions violated the right to freedom of assembly and
association under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution. Further, the court struck out the police’s suit for incompetence and
abuse of process, and it nullified the earlier ex parte injunction as improperly obtained and lacking the required undertaking for
damages. The judgment also emphasized that the police neglected to investigate the complaints brought by the opposition
parties, a failure described as a “serious abdication of duty.” The court granted a perpetual injunction restraining the Kaduna
State Commissioner of Police, his agents, and associates from interfering with lawful political activities such as rallies,
assemblies, and meetings, unless done via due legal process. Additionally, the court ordered that the police must promptly
investigate the violence associated with the August 30 meeting and submit a report to the Kaduna State Attorney-General
within 60 days. In total, damages of ₦15,000,000 were awarded, covering compensatory, general, aggravated, and
exemplary losses, distributed among three heads of violation and negligence (₦5 million each). The decision is widely
viewed as a significant affirmation of opposition parties’ rights in Kaduna State, sending a strong signal against any future
suppression of political dissent by security agencies. Officials and observers have interpreted the ruling as a rebuke to what critics describe as mounting
intolerance for alternative political voices and as a reinforcement of constitutional guarantees for assembly and association.
On his official X (formerly Twitter) page, El-Rufai shared extracts of the court’s judgment, highlighting the award of ₦15 million in damages.
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