By Mo. Hanif
Yoruba Nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has taken his legal fight against the Department of State Services (DSS) to the Supreme Court, challenging the reversal of the N20 billion damages initially awarded to him over the infamous 2021 raid on his Ibadan residence.
Igboho’s legal battle began after the brutal midnight raid, which saw two of his associates reportedly killed and a dozen others arrested. Following the attack, he sued the DSS and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), demanding N5.5 billion in damages. In 2021, an Oyo State High Court not only ruled in his favor but significantly increased the compensation to N20 billion. However, in 2022, the Court of Appeal overturned the judgment, arguing that the trial court lacked concrete evidence to justify the damages and questioning the lack of autopsy reports for the alleged killings.
Now, Igboho is escalating the case to the Supreme Court, asserting that the appellate court misjudged the matter. His legal team, led by Yomi Aliyu (SAN), insists that the DSS never denied the reported deaths and that the lack of valuation reports should not negate the financial losses he suffered. He also argues that the AGF and DSS filed their appeal outside the legally permitted timeframe, raising concerns about procedural irregularities.
This Supreme Court battle is not just about financial compensation—it could redefine government accountability and the limits of state power in Nigeria’s security operations. As the case unfolds, all eyes will be on the judiciary to see whether justice will favor the embattled agitator or the security apparatus that raided his home under the guise of national security.