Former vice president Atiku Abubakar has condemned the alleged assault and maltreatment of human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore.
Atiku, in a post shared on his X page on Thursday, August 7, described the incident as a “shameful abuse of power” and an act of personal vendetta by the Nigeria Police Force. As reported by Vanguard, Sowore, a former presidential candidate, was reportedly brutalised on Thursday morning during an attempt by officers from the Inspector General of Police’s Monitoring Unit to forcibly move him from detention to court.
The Punch reported that the lawyer representing Sowore accused the police of subjecting his client to inhumane treatment while in custody. He alleged that Sowore’s hand was broken in the process, and he was allegedly sprayed with chemicals.
Reacting to the incident, Atiku, in a statement, strongly condemned the action by the police and questioned the legality of the IGP’s involvement.
“The treatment of @YeleSowore by the IGP Monitoring Team is a shameful abuse of power. It is wrong, unlawful, and must be condemned by all who believe in justice,” Atiku tweeted.
Atiku further described the arrest as politically motivated.
Sowore’s only offence is speaking out against injustice, nepotism, and misrule. For that, he 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 personal vendetta, not policing,” he said. Quoting Section 367 of the Nigeria Police Regulation, Atiku pointed out the illegality of the IGP acting as both complainant and enforcer.
Atiku warned that the attack on Sowore is a broader threat to democratic freedom.
“This is not about Sowore alone, it is an attack on every Nigerian who dares to speak truth to power. This must stop,” he declared.
