Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, was reportedly assaulted by at least eight police officers early Thursday morning, shortly before being secretly relocated from the Force Intelligence Department (FID) of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja.
Sowore had been detained on Wednesday after honoring an official police invitation — an invitation he previously described as “defective and legally flawed.”
According to sources, police officers, led by a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), entered Sowore’s cell around 6 a.m. Thursday, claiming they were taking him to court. However, when Sowore demanded the presence of his legal team and his clothes, the officers allegedly became violent.
“They pounced on him,” said the source. “There were eight officers, led by a CSP. They tried to drag him out, but he insisted he wouldn’t leave without proper clothing.”
The confrontation left Sowore with a twisted right hand, and the source alleged that his hand may have been broken during the scuffle.
The operation was reportedly carried out by a unit from the IGP Monitoring Unit, under the command of DCP Akin Fakorede, a controversial former SARS officer. The CSP is said to report directly to Force spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi.
Arrest Over Dubious Allegations
Sowore had turned himself in at the Force Headquarters on Wednesday, arriving at 12:16 p.m. with his lawyers, Barristers A.K. Musa and Marshal Abubakar, and a crowd of supporters chanting protest slogans.
Carrying a packed travel bag containing toiletries, clothes, and books, the activist made it clear he was prepared for possible detention.
The police initially accused him of “inciting disturbance” — a charge not recognized under Nigerian law. This was later changed to “forgery” and “criminal defamation”.
In a statement on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Sowore said that while in custody, he was served two petitions allegedly originating from what he described as the “illegal office of the IGP.”
“The notorious former SARS officer, DCP Akin Fakorede, presented two petitions — one alleging forgery and another written by Bukola Yemisi Kuti, accusing me of ‘criminal defamation’,” Sowore wrote.
Kuti, according to insiders, was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) allegedly due to her close ties to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
The arrest triggered immediate backlash from civil society. Members of the Take It Back Movement and other allied activist groups issued a two-hour ultimatum to the police, demanding Sowore’s release or threatening mass protests.
