Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the reported assault and detention of Omoyele Sowore by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Team, calling it an abuse of power.
Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023, made the statement on Thursday through his verified Facebook page.
He described the treatment of Sowore as “shameful, unlawful, and a personal vendetta.”
Sowore, a human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, was reportedly attacked by police officers at dawn, beaten, had his arm broken, and sprayed with chemicals after honouring a police invitation over a petition said to have come from the IGP’s office.
Atiku said Sowore’s only offence was speaking out against injustice, corruption, and bad leadership. He added that it was wrong for the IGP to act as both the complainant and the one using police to settle personal scores. “No police officer shall institute any legal proceeding in his own personal interest or in connection with matters arising out of his public duties,” Atiku emphasized that the “IGP cannot be a complainant and still deploy the force to carry out his grievance.”
“This is not just about Sowore. It is an attack on every Nigerian who speaks the truth. It must stop,” he said, demanding Sowore’s immediate and unconditional release.