Bashir Wins Court Battle: Police Restraining Order Enforced
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the immediate release of politician and businessman, Bashir Hadejia, declaring his arrest and detention by the police unlawful and unconstitutional. In addition, the court imposed a N10 million fine on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) for the violation of Hadejia’s fundamental human rights.
Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the judgment on Tuesday, strongly criticizing the police for raiding Hadejia’s home without a warrant and detaining him without legal justification. He described the actions as a gross violation of Hadejia’s rights. “The invasion of the applicant’s home, his arrest without a warrant, and subsequent detention are unlawful and a blatant breach of his fundamental human rights,” Justice Nwite stated.
The court also issued a perpetual injunction, restraining the IGP, his agents, and servants from arresting or detaining Hadejia unlawfully in the future.
Hadejia, a former special adviser to Bello Matawalle, the ex-governor of Zamfara State, was arrested in August 2024 by the Force Intelligence Department’s Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) over allegations of treason and subversion against the state. Hadejia denied the charges, calling them politically motivated.
Through his legal counsel, Mahmud Magaji, Hadejia filed a suit against the IGP, Matawalle, and the Department of State Services (DSS), seeking nine reliefs, including a declaration that his arrest was illegal, as well as N500 million in damages.
Hadejia’s younger brother, Abubakar, provided an affidavit claiming that the arrest was part of a political vendetta following a fallout with Matawalle after his failed reelection bid in 2023. Abubakar also alleged that the police had raided Hadejia’s home without a search warrant and failed to make an inventory of the items seized.
Although Matawalle and other respondents denied the allegations, the court found no concrete evidence linking them to Hadejia’s arrest. Justice Nwite pointed out that the IGP failed to challenge the evidence presented in court.
“It is worthy of note that the 1st respondent did not file any process despite being served with the hearing notices and all court documents. Unchallenged evidence in court is deemed true,” the judge concluded.
