…grants perpetual injunction restraining Kaduna CP from disrupting political meetings
A High Court sitting in Kaduna, Kaduna State, on Wednesday, awarded the sum of N15 million against the Police as damages for thwarting the 30th August, 2025 and 4th September, 2025 meetings of the chieftains of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kaduna, the Kaduna State capital.
The court, presided over by Justice Murtala J. Zubairu, also granted a perpetual injunction restraining the Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State, his officers and privies from interfering with lawful political gatherings of the defendant/counter claimants.
It would be recalled that two meetings involving a former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and other chieftains of the ADC and SDP in Kaduna State were truncated, first on the 30th of August, 2025, by hired thugs in the presence of police officers and then by the Police on the 4th of September, 2025.
The Police hinged their action on an exparte injunction that they obtained in the suit marked KDH/KAD/NPD/1315/2025 Between the Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State vs African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Delivering judgment on the suit, after reviewing all the facts and submissions of counsel, the court not only dismissed the suit instituted by the Police “for being incompetent and constituting an abuse of court process” but upheld the prayers of the defendants/counter claimants.
Specifically, the court directed as follows, “A DECLARATION is granted that the Applicant’s failure to investigate the complaints in Exhibits A2 and A3 and their subsequent action to
suspend/prohibit the Counter-Claimant’s lawful assemblies constitutes a breach of statutory duty under Sections 4, 83, and 84 of the Police Act 2020.
“A DECLARATION is granted that the ex parte interim injunction granted by this Honourable Court on September 4, 2025, and the reliefs sought in the
Originating Summons, infringed the Counter-Claimant’s fundamental rights to freedom of assembly and association under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), without justifiable derogation under Section 45 (1).
“A DECLARATION is granted that the Applicant’s actions, including the application for a blanket prohibition of all political assemblies in the State
based on unverified intelligence, amount to selective enforcement and an abuse of process.
“An ORDER is hereby granted discharging the ex parte interim injunction granted on September 4, 2025, for procedural irregularities and lack of merit.
“An ORDER of PERPETUAL INJUNCTION is hereby granted restraining the Applicant (COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, KADUNA STATE), his officers, agents, or privies from further interfering with the Counter
Claimant’s lawful political activities, including meetings, rallies, and
assemblies, without due process of law.
“An ORDER is granted directing the Applicant to promptly investigate the complaints lodged by the Respondents (Exhibits A2 and A3) and the alleged violence of August 30, 2025, and provide a report to the Attorney-General of
Kaduna State for necessary action within 60 days from the date of this judgment.
“DAMAGES are hereby awarded in favour of the
RESPONDENT/COUNTER-CLAIMANT and against the
APPLICANT/DEFENDANT to the Counterclaim in the total sum of N15,000,000.00 (Fifteen Million Naira), encompassing compensatory, general, aggravated, and exemplary damages for the breach of fundamental rights, wrong injunction and breach of statutory duty.”
