The Nigeria Police Force has come under criticism after allegedly breaking the hand of human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, during an attempt to forcibly transfer him from custody to court on Thursday morning.
Amnesty International, which disclosed the incident, said the activist was subjected to violence by officers at the Force Intelligence Department (FID) in Abuja around 6:00 a.m.
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The rights group described the action as a blatant violation of human rights and due process.
“Amnesty International just received deeply disturbing reports of a violent attempt by the police to forcibly drag activist Omoyele Sowore from his cell to court at 6:00 a.m. As a result, he sustained a severe injury on his left hand and has since been taken to an unknown location,” the organisation said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.
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“We are calling on Nigerian authorities to call the police to order and halt any further physical harm on Sowore. He must be immediately given adequate medical care. Attempting to drag Sowore to a judicial process without recourse to his lawyer is a flagrant disregard for the rule of law.
“Nigerian authorities must release Sowore unconditionally and drop all bogus and politically motivated charges against him. The authorities should listen to critics instead of seeking to gag them through outright abuse of power.”
A separate post on Mr Sowore’s verified Facebook page, now being managed by an associate, corroborated the account.
“At about 6 a.m., a police team, headed by a CSP from the IGP Monitoring Unit, forcibly entered Omoyele Sowore’s detention cell at the FID in Abuja, broke his right hand, and transported him to an undisclosed location,” the post said.
PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported on Wednesday that Amnesty International and several Nigerian lawyers condemned Mr Sowore’s arrest and detention, describing it as unlawful and politically motivated.
Mr Sowore, a former presidential candidate, was detained after honouring an invitation from the IGP Monitoring Unit at the Force Headquarters.
The police invitation followed allegations of forgery and criminal defamation. However, the police have yet to disclose the full details of the petitions despite Mr Sowore’s insistence on transparency before appearing.
PREMIUM TIMES had also reported that Mr Sowore, through his lawyer, Tope Temokun, requested that the initial summons be reissued with a clear legal basis and disclosure of the allegations.
The police complied and rescheduled the meeting for 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, pledging to provide a copy of the petition at the time of appearance.
In a Facebook post confirming his intention to honour the invitation, Mr Sowore had urged fellow activists and “voices of resistance” to accompany him to the Force Headquarters.
“Let every freedom fighter, every citizen of conscience, every voice of resistance assemble early tomorrow at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja,” he wrote.
Following his appearance at the police headquarters, Mr Sowore was detained and interrogated by Deputy Commissioner of Police Akin Fakorede, a former officer of the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
According to the Facebook post managed by his associate, two petitions were presented during interrogation—one alleging forgery and the other filed by Bukola Yemisi Kuti, who was reportedly promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police and allegedly has personal ties to the IGP.
The post said the latter petition accuses Mr Sowore of criminal defamation.
Lawyers decry arrest, allegations of abuse of power
Some Nigerian lawyers have also criticised the police handling of the case, citing procedural breaches and abuse of power.
Abbas Ochogwu, a lawyer, said on Facebook that the police’s actions violated natural justice.
“The police cannot be both the complainant and the investigator. That’s a clear breach of due process,” he wrote.
“If DCP Fakorede is acting on petitions from questionable sources, including one allegedly linked to an improper relationship, the entire process is compromised.”
Another lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, invoked the Police Act 2020 and relevant case law to condemn the arrest.
“The Police Act and Regulation 367 forbid officers from using their positions to settle personal scores. Based on Omega Bank Plc v. Ekiti State (2007) 16 NWLR (Pt 1061) 445, the petitions grounding Sowore’s arrest amount to abuse of power and a fundamental violation of due process,” he said.
“The IGP and his alleged mistress cannot simultaneously be complainants and investigators in the same matter.”
Hamza Dantani, another lawyer, offered a more scathing assessment: “This is the worst IGP in the entire history of this country!”
Amnesty International said it continues to monitor the situation and reiterated its position that Mr Sowore is being targeted for his activism.
The organisation previously designated him a Prisoner of Conscience in 2019, following his prolonged detention for leading peaceful protests.
As of the time of this report, Mr Sowore remains in police custody, and his legal team is taking steps to secure his release.
Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police spokesperson, also, has yet to respond to calls and WhatsApp messages sent to him over the alleged brutality meted out to Mr Sowore.
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