A Federal Capital Territory High Court has ordered the Nigeria Police Force to pay N12 million in damages to a journalist who was abducted, assaulted, and unlawfully detained during what police described as a covert operation against illegal currency traders. Justice Bello Kawu delivered the judgment on July 29, 2026, finding that officers violated the fundamental rights of Kasarahchi Aniagolu, a reporter with online newspaper The Whistler, during an incident that occurred more than two years earlier in the nation’s capital.
Ms. Aniagolu was arrested on February 21, 2024, at a location in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, where police operatives were conducting an operation targeting operators of illegal bureau de ce businesses. According to court documents, the journalist was detained for eight hours and subjected to treatment that the court later characterized as inhuman and degrading. Police officers allegedly seized her phone and deleted photographs stored on the device, raising serious questions about press freedom and the rights of journalists covering law enforcement activities in Nigeria.
Represented by legal firm Seasons Law Firm, Abuja, through attorney Adekunle Kosoko, Ms. Aniagolu filed suit on October 25, 2024, seeking N100 million in damages from the Inspector General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force. Her statement of claim outlined multiple violations, including unlawful abduction, breach of privacy, and inhuman treatment while in custody. The case joined a growing list of legal challenges against police conduct in Nigeria, where rights groups have long documented patterns of arbitrary detention and mistreatment of citizens, including members of the media.
Justice Kawu’s ruling was unequivocal in its condemnation of police conduct. The court declared that officers subjected the journalist to inhuman and degrading treatment in contravention of Section 34(1)(a) and (b) of the 1999 Constitution as amended. Additionally, the judgment found that her abduction and subsequent detention at the police station in Guzape District infringed on her right to personal liberty under Section 35(1) of the Constitution. Such explicit judicial findings carry significant weight in a country where police accountability remains a contentious issue and victims of abuse often struggle to obtain justice.
Of the total N12 million awarded, N10 million was designated as compensation for the violation of fundamental rights, while N2 million was allocated to cover litigation costs. While this represents a substantial reduction from the N100 million initially sought, legal observers note that such awards send an important signal about the judiciary’s willingness to hold security agencies accountable for constitutional violations. Courts have increasingly become a battleground for press freedom issues in Nigeria, where journalists frequently face harassment, detention, and assault while performing their professional duties.
As of the time of reporting, the Nigeria Police Force has not issued any public response to the judgment. Whether the force will comply with the court order, appeal the decision, or implement reforms to prevent similar incidents remains to be seen. For journalists and civil society advocates, however, the ruling represents a meaningful, if incomplete, victory in the ongoing struggle to protect constitutional rights and press freedom. How security agencies respond to such judicial rebukes will likely shape the relationship between law enforcement and the media in the months and years ahead, determining whether this judgment becomes a catalyst for ce or merely another unheeded court decision in Nigeria’s complex justice landscape.
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