The Federal High Court in Abuja has declared the arrest and detention of politician and businessman Bashir Hadejia as unlawful and ordered his immediate release.
Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling delivered on Tuesday, condemned the raid on Hadejia’s residence and his warrantless arrest as a violation of his fundamental rights.
The court also imposed a N10 million fine on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, for the rights infringement and issued an injunction preventing further arrests or detentions of Hadejia without due process.
Hadejia, a former adviser to ex-Zamfara State governor Bello Matawalle, was arrested in August 2024 by the Force Intelligence Department’s Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) on allegations of treason and subversion.
In a legal motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1235/2024, Hadejia’s lawyer, Mahmud Magaji, sued the IGP, Matawalle, and other security agencies, claiming the arrest was politically motivated and unconstitutional.
Hadejia also sought ₦500 million in damages.
Abubakar, Hadejia’s younger brother, alleged in court filings that the arrest was orchestrated by Matawalle following a political fallout.
He claimed the raid on Hadejia’s home was conducted without a warrant, no inventory was provided for seized items, and administrative bail was denied.
While the other respondents, including Matawalle, denied involvement and dismissed the allegations as baseless, the court found the IGP had failed to contest the claims.
Justice Nwite held that unchallenged evidence is presumed valid under the law.
The court emphasized that while security agencies have the authority to investigate crimes, they must operate within the bounds of the law and respect human rights.