Igboho Drags AGF, DSS To Supreme Court Over N20bn Compensation

Yoruba nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, has taken the case concerning the N20 billion compensation awarded to him for damages following the invasion of his residence by the Department of State Services (DSS) to the Supreme Court. This is after the Court of Appeal dismissed the verdict of a lower court that had previously granted him the compensation.

On July 1, 2021, DSS operatives raided Igboho’s residence in Ibadan, Oyo State, during which two of his allies were killed, and valuable properties, including cars, were destroyed. Igboho, who managed to escape the attack before his eventual arrest in Benin Republic, filed a lawsuit against the DSS and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) for violating his fundamental human rights.

In September 2021, an Oyo State High Court, under Justice Ladiran Akintola, ruled in Igboho’s favor, awarding him N20 billion in damages for the violation of his rights. However, the Ibadan Division of the Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice Muslim Hassan, overturned this ruling in August 2022. The appellate court declared that the raid on Igboho’s residence was not illegal and described the awarded damages as excessive.

Unhappy with the Appellate Court’s judgment, Igboho, through his counsel Yomi Alliu, filed a suit at the Supreme Court (marked SC/CV/1436/22) on March 10, 2025, appealing the decision. In the suit, Igboho listed 19 grounds for appeal.

The respondents in the case include the AGF, DSS, and the Director of DSS in Oyo State. Among other issues, Igboho is asking the Supreme Court to determine whether his fundamental rights were breached and whether the case should have been heard under fundamental rights enforcement rather than as a tort case, as ruled by the lower court. Additionally, he seeks clarification on several procedural and legal issues, including whether the lower court erred in dismissing his preliminary objections and whether the ruling on the award of damages was just.

Igboho’s legal team also challenges the Appellate Court’s decision to discount the valuation report supporting the compensation claim, despite uncontradicted evidence. Furthermore, Igboho questions whether the DSS should have proven beyond a reasonable doubt that illegal arms found at his residence were indeed illicit, especially considering that they removed key evidence, including CCTV footage from the house.

The case has sparked renewed debate over human rights violations, state power, and the rule of law in Nigeria, with the outcome of the Supreme Court appeal likely to have significant implications for future claims of rights violations by government agencies.