Omoyele Sowore Faces Attack In Police Custody, Right Hand Broken 2 -

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has raised serious allegations against the Nigeria Police Force, claiming that he was brutally assaulted while in police custody, resulting in a broken right hand.

Sowore, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the African Action Congress (AAC), was detained in Abuja on Wednesday, following an invitation for questioning linked to a petition said to have been filed by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.

However, the activist’s social media handles on Thursday morning carried a disturbing update that has since sparked public concern and condemnation.

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According to the post, Sowore was assaulted at around 6:00 a.m. in his detention cell at the Force Intelligence Department (FID) in Abuja, by a team of officers allegedly led by a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) from the IGP’s Monitoring Unit.

“At about 6AM, a police team, headed by a CSP from the IGP Monitoring Unit, forcibly entered Omoyele Sowore’s detention cell at the FID in Abuja, broke his right hand, and transported him to an undisclosed location,” the post read.

The alleged assault has raised questions about the treatment of political dissidents and the use of force within police detention facilities.

READ ALSO: Tension: Protest looms Over Sowore’s Detention

The secrecy surrounding Sowore’s current whereabouts has further deepened concerns, with family members, supporters, and rights groups demanding immediate clarification from police authorities.

Omoyele Sowore Continuous Faceoff With Security Operatives

This latest development adds to a long history of confrontations between Sowore and Nigeria’s security agencies. The journalist and political activist has been a vocal critic of successive governments and has faced multiple arrests, detentions, and court cases in recent years, often attracting national and international scrutiny.

Sowore’s legal team is reportedly preparing to take urgent legal action, while human rights organizations are calling for transparency, accountability, and the immediate medical attention of the activist.

Human Rights Group, Lawyers Condemn Omoyele Sowore’s Detention

Meanwhile, the development has triggered concern among human rights groups, Nigerians and lawyers, who are calling for his immediate release.

Reacting to this in a statement released on Wednesday, Amnesty International condemned the action as arbitrary and a violation of Sowore’s human rights.

“Amnesty International strongly condemns the arbitrary detention of human rights activist and journalist Omoyele Sowore, who has been facing ongoing harassment and intimidation by the Nigerian Police,” the statement read.

It urged the government to release Sowore without conditions and to dismiss what it termed as baseless and politically driven allegations against him.

Amnesty further advised the authorities to engage constructively with dissenting voices rather than resorting to the misuse of state power to suppress them.

Also, a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, warned that “Nothing should happen to Sowore. This lawless IGP should be careful; his atrocities have gotten worse. He should know that he is not above the laws of this country,” he wrote on X.

Similarly, in a series of posts made on X, another human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, condemned the arrest and detention of Sowore, describing the move as a gross abuse of power and a blatant violation of fundamental human rights.

Ogun criticised the NPF for what he called an “unprecedented attack” on Sowore’s rights to dignity, personal liberty, and freedom of expression.

Ogun called for accountability, demanding that all officers involved, including the magistrate who issued the ‘suspicious’ detention order, face disciplinary action.

“Egbetokun and his co-travellers are forbidden by law to use the police in settling personal scores. How did the police obtain a detention order against Sowore prior to his arrest? All officers involved, including the magistrate who granted the suspicious order, should be thoroughly disciplined,” he said.