Court of Appeal Upholds Judgment Against SSS Over Unlawful Arrest of 12-Year-Old
The Court of Appeal in Enugu has upheld the judgment of the Enugu State High Court, declaring the arrest and detention of 12-year-old Stephen Egwuatu by the State Security Services (SSS) as unlawful and a violation of his fundamental rights.
In a ruling delivered on March 27, 2025, the appellate court dismissed the SSS’s appeal and reaffirmed the ₦5 million fine imposed on the agency.
Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), confirmed the ruling, noting that Egwuatu was arrested on November 8, 2021, at the age of 12, and released on November 11, 2021.
Justice Abdul-Azeez Waziri, delivering the lead judgment, dismissed the appeal as “unmeritorious” and upheld the punitive cost against the SSS. Ejiofor hailed the decision as a victory for justice and vowed to ensure full enforcement of the judgment.
