A Federal High Court in Osogbo has condemned the Nigeria Police Force for obstructing the February 22, 2025 local government election in Osun State, ordering the Inspector-General of Police and the Police Service Commission to jointly pay N100 million in damages.
In a ruling delivered in suit FHC/OS/CS/41/2025, Justice A.A. Demi-Ajayi held that the security agency acted outside the law when it shut down the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) offices and detained commission staff on the eve of the polls. The judge said the Police failed to identify any legal breach that justified the intervention.
Justice Demi-Ajayi also affirmed that evidence presented in court showed the election was conducted in compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 and all relevant statutes, undercutting the Police’s claims of suspected violations.
The lawsuit was filed by OSSIEC and its chairman, Barrister Hashim Abioye, who argued that the Police infringed on their constitutional rights by sealing the commission’s premises and arresting temporary election workers. They asked the court to determine whether their rights to liberty, dignity, privacy and property, as protected under Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution and the African Charter, had been breached.
The claimants further accused the Police of political interference and stressed that the election had been ordered by a court. They demanded N2 billion in aggravated damages while seeking an order restraining the IGP from future disruptions of OSSIEC’s statutory duties.
The Police, in their defence, admitted carrying out the operation but insisted it was a preventive measure aimed at averting potential electoral offences. In an affidavit deposed by Inspector Ogunmokun Abiodun, the Police said their actions were based on credible suspicion and maintained that they operated strictly within constitutional limits. They dismissed allegations of partisanship and accused the claimants of overstating the incident.
Reacting to the judgment, OSSIEC Chairman Hashim Abioye lauded the court for upholding the rule of law and praised the legal team led by Maruf Adediran. He described the ruling as a historical reminder of what he termed an unlawful attempt by the Police to undermine grassroots democracy in Osun State.