Sowore’s lawyers insist police broke his arm in custody

Lawyers for human rights activist and SaharaReporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, maintained on Saturday that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) broke his arm during detention and denied him access to independent medical care, dismissing police claims that he arrived at the facility with a bandage in his bag.

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In a statement signed on behalf of the legal team by a leading member of the team, Tope Temokun, alleged that around 6:00 a.m. on Friday, eight armed officers entered Mr Sowore’s cell at the Force Headquarters Monitoring Unit, saying they were taking him to court.

“He demanded to see his lawyers. It was during the violent attempt to forcefully move him from his cell at that hour that his arm was broken,” Mr Temokun wrote. “The injury occurred in police custody, by their hands, under their control.”

Mr Temokun said police denied Mr Sowore’s request to be treated by his own medical team and instead produced an in-house nurse or first-aider who wrapped the arm without an X-ray or proper diagnosis.

He also dismissed as “mischievous” the police assertion that he refused examination by two police medical teams, arguing that no victim of alleged torture would submit to treatment from the same institution accused of inflicting the injury.

Rejecting the police’s claim that Mr Sowore arrived at the Monitoring Unit with a bandage in his bag, the legal team said officers took an inventory of his belongings on arrival and should release it to prove transparency.

“How can the police allege that a civilian invited for questioning walked into their heavily guarded headquarters with medical supplies unknown to them? If that were true, it would be self-indicting,” they stated.

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Mr Temokun also criticised the police for swiftly addressing the injury allegation while remaining silent on an earlier complaint about the alleged theft of Mr Sowore’s Ray-Ban AI glasses by an officer linked to the Force Public Relations Office.

He further argued that the arrest itself was unjustified, saying the police’s claim that Mr Sowore refused to write a statement was not grounds for detention or denial of bail.

Citing Section 35(2) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 60(1) of the Police Act 2020, he noted that making a statement is voluntary and cannot be compelled.

The lawyer said they would petition the Nigeria Police Council and the Police Service Commission for a full investigation of all officers involved.

Police rebut allegations

Earlier, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the police denied the allegations of brutality, insisting that all actions taken were lawful and devoid of malice or political motives.

Force spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner of Police Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement on Friday that Mr Sowore twice refused medical checks in custody, on 7 and 8 August, despite two separate police medical teams being dispatched to examine him.

The refusals, he said, were officially recorded.

“While the police respect the individual’s right to decline medical assessment, the record must show that the opportunity for independent medical verification was twice provided and twice rejected,” the statement read.

Mr Adejobi described as “false and grossly misleading” a viral photo showing the activist with a bandaged arm, saying the bandage was among his personal belongings when he honoured a police invitation before arrest.

Mr Adejobi said the Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun ordered an internal investigation into how the bandage was accessed in custody.

The police said Mr Sowore’s arrest followed two petitions — one alleging the forgery of a police document published online and another alleging cyberbullying — and that he would be arraigned for forgery, cyberstalking, and other unspecified offences.

Mr Adejobi maintained that the arrest complied with constitutional safeguards, that bail was granted within the 48 hours stipulated by Section 35(4) of the Constitution, and that his continued detention was based on a valid remand order.

Sowore’s account

Before his release on Friday evening, Mr Sowore appeared in a SaharaReporters live stream, alleging that police broke his right wrist early Thursday morning and denied him proper medical treatment.

“They broke my hand yesterday and have not brought a doctor — only a nurse,” he said, claiming that police brought journalists to see him in custody to downplay concerns about his welfare.