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By Myke Agunwa
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to order the immediate and unconditional release of detained human rights activist and Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoleye Sowore.
Sowore, a former presidential candidate on the platform of African Action Congress (AAC) in 2023, was on Wednesday detained after honouring an invitation from the IGP Monitoring Unit at the Force Headquarters following allegations of forgery and criminal defamation.
It was earlier reported that the police allegedly broke his hand during an attempt to forcibly transfer him from custody to court on Thursday morning.
Reacting to the development, Atiku in a statement on his X handle on Thursday, described the treatment meted out to Sowore by the IGP Monitoring Team as “a shameful abuse of power. It is wrong, unlawful, and must be condemned by all who believe in justice”.
Atiku said Sowore’s only offence was speaking out against injustice, nepotism, and misrule. He lamented that the activist was reportedly attacked at dawn, beaten, had his arm broken, and sprayed with chemicals by policemen acting on petitions from the IGP’s own office.
“This is a personal vendetta, not policing,” Atiku stated.
“Even the Nigeria Police Regulation forbids this. Regulation 367 states: No police officer shall institute any legal proceeding in his own personal interest or in connection with matters arising out of his public duties.
“The IGP cannot be a complainant and still deploy the force to carry out his grievance.
“This is not about Sowore alone, it is an attack on every Nigerian who dares to speak truth to power.
“This must stop. And Sowore should be released immediately, and unconditionally, too”