A Kaduna High Court has ruled that the restriction of opposition political gatherings by the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police is unconstitutional, awarding ₦15 million in damages to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Murtala J. Zubairu declared that the police violated the fundamental rights of the parties to peaceful assembly and political participation, holding that the Commissioner “overstepped statutory limits.”
The verdict followed a suit filed after security operatives disrupted an ADC event attended by former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, and other opposition leaders.
“The Applicant fundamentally breached their statutory duty and unlawfully infringed upon the Counter-Claimants’ rights,” Justice Zubairu declared. “The unconstitutionality of the Applicant’s conduct justifies the declarations sought.”
According to details shared on El-Rufai’s official X handle, the court faulted the police for targeting opposition parties instead of investigating the attackers, describing the Commissioner’s actions as “a clear pattern of potential abuse of power.”
Justice Zubairu ruled that the attempt to impose a statewide ban on political gatherings was “oppressive, selective, and high-handed,” emphasizing that the freedom of assembly and association under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution cannot be curtailed by administrative directives.
The court dismissed the police’s application as incompetent and an abuse of process, granting all counterclaims filed by the ADC and SDP.
It awarded ₦15 million — ₦5 million each under three counts of violation and negligence.
Justice Zubairu also nullified the ex parte injunction earlier obtained by the police to halt political meetings, declaring that it was issued “irregularly and without the mandatory undertaking for damages,” contrary to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Kotoye v. CBN (1989).
He condemned the police for neglecting genuine complaints lodged by opposition parties, describing it as “a serious abdication of duty.”
The judgment, now widely circulated online, has been hailed as a landmark victory for opposition groups and a judicial warning against efforts to suppress democratic freedoms in Kaduna State.
