The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has strongly condemned the reported violent treatment of activist and journalist, Omoyele Sowore, by officers of the Nigeria Police Force at the Force Intelligence Department (FID) in Abuja earlier on Thursday.
Executive Director, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Okechukwu Nwanguma, said that according to credible reports, at about 6:00 a.m., a police team led by a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit stormed Sowore’s detention cell, violently attempted to drag him to court, and in the process broke his right hand. He was then reportedly whisked away to an undisclosed location.
“This disturbing act of cruelty and excessive force not only violates Sowore’s fundamental rights, but also signals a troubling descent into vengeful and authoritarian policing under the leadership of the current Inspector-General of Police. The pattern of conduct suggests a personal vendetta rather than lawful and professional policing,” Nwanguma said, adding that,
“We remind the Nigeria Police Force that no one is above the Constitution—and that the rights to dignity, due process, and freedom from torture or degrading treatment are guaranteed under both Nigerian and international law.’
He made the following demands on the Police authority on the matter;
1. Immediate cessation of all forms of physical and psychological abuse against Omoyele Sowore.
2. Unhindered access to urgent and adequate medical care for the injury he sustained in police custody.
3. Full respect for Sowore’s due process rights, including access to legal representation and timely information on his whereabouts.
4. Independent investigation into this brutal incident, with appropriate sanctions for officers found responsible for this abuse.
5. The Inspector-General of Police must be called to order by the Nigerian government. The IGP Monitoring Unit, which increasingly operates as a tool for repression and vendetta, must be reined in immediately.
“Nigeria is a constitutional democracy, not a police state. The actions of the police must reflect professionalism, impartiality, and a commitment to the rule of law—not personal grievances or political expediency.
“We stand in solidarity with Omoyele Sowore and demand that the Nigerian authorities take urgent steps to guarantee his safety, dignity, and freedom from further abuse,” Nwanguma added.
