Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), journalist and publisher of SaharaReporters, has filed a ₦5 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Department of State Services (DSS) and other government officials over an alleged assault and abduction inside the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The suit, filed on October 13, 2026, and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2480/2026, names the DSS, its Director-General, Tosin Ajayi, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), and a DSS Deputy Director, Benjamin Bulus, as respondents.

According to the court processes, the action challenges the legality of an operation allegedly carried out by armed and hooded DSS operatives on June 22, 2026, during which Sowore claims he was physically assaulted and forcibly taken from the fourth floor of the court building to its basement.

Sowore is asking the court to determine whether the operatives acted outside the authority of a judicial remand order and violated his constitutionally protected rights to human dignity and personal liberty.

The incident reportedly occurred after Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court ordered 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.

However, according to the court filings, while Sowore was waiting for correctional officers to arrive and implement the remand order, DSS operatives stormed the fourth floor of the court complex, allegedly assaulted him and forcibly transported him to the basement using elevators reserved for Federal High Court judges.

The applicant maintains that the remand order did not authorise the alleged physical assault, intimidation, forcible removal or degrading treatment.

He further contends that the operation was intended to intimidate and harm him despite the existence of a judicial order specifying the process for his remand.

The suit identifies Bulus as the DSS officer who allegedly led the operation, alongside Ajayi, the agency’s Director-General.

Smart glasses footage presented as evidence

A central element of the suit is video footage reportedly captured using Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses during the incident.

According to the court processes, the recording forms part of the materials Sowore is relying on to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault, the conduct of the operatives and the sequence of events within the court premises.

The footage has been presented for the court’s consideration, subject to applicable rules on admissibility, authenticity and evidential weight.

Sowore maintains that the recording provides visual evidence supporting his account that the operation went beyond the lawful implementation of the remand order.

The court is expected to determine the evidential significance of the footage alongside the other materials submitted in the proceedings.

Sowore invokes constitutional rights

The suit relies on Sections 34 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which protect the dignity of the human person and the right to personal liberty.

Sowore contends that the alleged assault, forcible removal, intimidation and unlawful detention violated those constitutional protections.

He is asking the Federal High Court to determine whether the DSS operatives exceeded their lawful authority and whether the agency and the other respondents bear legal responsibility for the alleged conduct.

Among the reliefs sought is an award of ₦5 billion in aggravated damages for the alleged assault, abduction, humiliation, intimidation and infringement of his fundamental rights.

He is also seeking declarations on the alleged unlawfulness of the operation, injunctive and consequential orders, and any other relief the court considers appropriate.

The applicant argues that the incident represents an abuse of state power, particularly because it allegedly occurred within a Federal High Court complex.

The suit maintains that a judicial remand order cannot be interpreted as permission for security operatives to assault, intimidate or abduct a defendant.

The claims remain allegations before the court, and no determination of liability has been made in the present action.

2019 incident resurfaces

The latest lawsuit also recalls a similar confrontation involving Sowore and DSS operatives at the Federal High Court in Abuja on December 6, 2019.

During proceedings before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu over treason-related charges brought against him following the #RevolutionNow protests, DSS operatives attempted to rearrest Sowore within the court premises.

The incident attracted public condemnation and prompted a parliamentary inquiry into the conduct of security operatives within judicial premises.

Sowore subsequently instituted legal proceedings against the DSS and obtained a judgment awarding damages against the agency.

According to his counsel, the DSS has failed to comply with the monetary award made by Justice Egwuatu in the earlier proceedings.

The new suit therefore places renewed attention on the conduct of security agencies within court premises, compliance with fundamental rights judgments and the accountability of government institutions.

Sowore’s position is that no security agency can place itself above the Constitution or rely on executive authority, national security considerations or judicial proceedings to justify violations of fundamental rights.

The Federal High Court is being asked to examine the allegations and determine the legal responsibilities of the respondents.