Human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has spoken from police custody, insisting there is no legal justification for his arrest by the Nigeria Police Force.
Sowore made the statement on Friday while in detention at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, where the police led some protesters and members of the press to meet with him.
The activist was seen with a bandage on one hand, alleging that his hand was broken in custody and he had not received adequate medical attention.
“I’ve been expecting this nonsense from them since I was brought here yesterday morning by 6am.”
“They came here and I know the next thing they will do is bring the press to create the impression that I’m doing fine. But the truth is I’m not fine, they broke my hand,” Sowore said.
He described his arrest as politically motivated and unjustifiable.
“There is no basis for my arrest in the first place. There is no basis for any citizen in Nigeria to be arrested by the IGP because the IGP feels threatened by the legality of opposition,” he said.
“What should have been done is to swallow their pride, release me from detention, apologise and ensure I get proper treatment. But instead of bringing a doctor, they brought a nurse. And now, they brought the media to pretend all is well,” he added in a live video shared on Sahara Reporters’ Facebook page.
Sowore had honoured an invitation by the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit on Wednesday, August 6, but has remained in custody since then.
The Nigeria Police said the activist is under investigation over two petitions bordering on alleged forgery of a police document and cyberbullying.
However, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Special Intervention Squad, Abayomi Shogunle, told demonstrators and pressmen that Sowore was not brutalised.
“He is in custody because he refused to make a statement. No one has harmed him,” Shogunle said.
Meanwhile, protests demanding Sowore’s release have erupted in several states, including Lagos, Abuja, Osun and Oyo. Supporters say the arrest is part of continued harassment against opposition voices in the country.
A protester in Abuja, who gave his name simply as Ibrahim, said, “This is not just about Sowore, this is about the shrinking space for democratic opposition in Nigeria. If this can happen to him, it can happen to anyone.”
As of press time, Sowore remains in detention, with growing calls for his immediate and unconditional release.
