Court orders DSS to pay Sowore N2m, apologise, return seized phone

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Department of State Service (DSS) to return the phone seized from Omoyele Sowore in 2019 and also pay the activist N2 million as general damages.

In the ruling, the presiding judge, Anwuli Chiekere, said the seizure of the phone is an abuse of court process. She also ordered the DSS to apologise to Sowore in two national dailies “within 30 days”.

NewsWireNGR had earlier reported that Sowore instituted a suit against the DSS to compel the agency to return his phones seized since August 2019 when he was first arrested.

The DSS had in defence claimed they are still investigating the mobile phones seized from the pro-democracy campaigner for links to terrorism.

Reacting to the court’s ruling and order, Sowore, said; “Today a Federal High Court judge, Justice Anwuli Chikere ruled that seizure of my mobile phones by lawless DSS is illegal, and violation of my rights.

“The judge further ruled that the forfeiture of my phones since 2019 using the subterfuge of my alleged links with “terrorists” is illegal, null and void. DSS ordered to pay me N2m!

“And that the DSS should apologize to me in two national dailies within 30 days”.