…challenges Appeal Court’s ruling nullifying damages awarded for 2021 DSS raid
Yoruba Nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has taken his legal battle against the Federal Government to the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn a ruling that nullified a N20 billion compensation earlier awarded to him.
The case arises from a controversial raid conducted by the Department of State Services (DSS) on Igboho’s residence in Ibadan in the early hours of July 1, 2021. The operation led to the deaths of two individuals and significant destruction of property.
Following the raid, Igboho filed a suit at the Oyo State High Court against the DSS and the Attorney-General of the Federation, alleging a breach of his fundamental rights. In September 2021, the court ruled in his favor, awarding N20 billion in damages for the violation.
However, in August 2022, the Court of Appeal set aside the judgment, describing the compensation as excessive and ruling that the matter should be treated as a tort case rather than a fundamental rights issue.
Unwilling to accept the decision, Igboho has now approached the Supreme Court to seek redress. His legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Yomi Alliu, filed the appeal on March 10, 2025.
In the appeal, Alliu raised critical legal questions, including whether the case was rightly categorized as a tort instead of a fundamental rights enforcement suit. He argued that the government had failed to substantiate its allegations against Igboho, especially as the DSS confiscated CCTV footage from the raid, which could have served as key evidence.
The appeal also contested the appellate court’s rejection of special damages on the basis of insufficient valuation reports, pointing out that affidavit evidence and expert invoices detailing the extent of the losses were submitted during the trial.
The Supreme Court is now set to review the legal arguments and determine whether the lower courts erred in their judgments and whether Igboho’s N20 billion compensation should be restored.
The outcome of the case is expected to have far-reaching implications for the enforcement of fundamental rights and accountability of security agencies in Nigeria.
