Garba Mohammed
The Commissioner of Police in charge of the Special Intervention Squad, CP Abayomi Shogunle, has given a formal explanation for the continued detention of human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore. The police, according to Shogunle, are acting within the bounds of the law and due process following Sowore’s alleged refusal to cooperate during a formal interrogation.
Sowore, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the African Action Congress (AAC), had honoured an invitation by the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit on Wednesday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja. However, he was subsequently detained, a development that triggered waves of protest in Lagos, Abuja, Osun, and Oyo states, where supporters have demanded his immediate release.
While speaking to a crowd of protesters and members of the media in Abuja on Friday, CP Shogunle said Sowore was not detained arbitrarily but on the strength of two separate petitions submitted against him. According to the CP, the first petition accuses the activist of forgery—specifically, the alleged falsification and online publication of a police document. The second petition pertains to allegations of cyberbullying. Both documents, he said, were presented to Sowore in the presence of his legal counsel.
In a video streamed live by Sahara Reporters, Shogunle elaborated that Sowore declined to make any official statement when asked to respond to the allegations. He emphasised that under Nigerian law, a suspect has the right to remain silent, but that right also triggers certain legal procedures on the part of law enforcement.
“The two petitions against Omoyele Sowore were shown to him right in my presence. One bordered on forgery of a police document, which he published online, and we all know the position of the law. It is your duty to provide a source of how you came about the forged document. The second petition has to do with cyberbullying,” Shogunle stated.
He stressed that Sowore’s lawyers were present during the interaction and were fully aware of the ongoing procedures. Shogunle insisted that no coercion was applied to force Sowore into speaking, but that his decision to remain silent necessitated police action in accordance with the law.
“The law allows him the right to remain silent, and we have respected that. However, that same law places an obligation on the police to follow laid down procedures when a suspect chooses not to speak. We cannot, as professionals, just release a suspect who is facing serious allegations simply because he refused to speak. The legal system does not work that way,” the CP explained.
When pressed by a lawyer among the protesters about why Sowore was still being held beyond the constitutionally allowed period of 24 hours, Shogunle maintained that the Force was adhering strictly to legal procedures. “We are professionals, and we are following the provisions of the law. Everything needed to be done under the law to detain someone is being done,” he replied.
To counter claims of mistreatment, Shogunle offered to take some of the protesters to see Sowore in custody and verify that he was not being abused or tortured. He reiterated that Sowore came voluntarily to the Force Headquarters and that his detention was only ordered after he refused to provide a statement regarding the allegations.
Sowore’s arrest comes shortly after he led a protest demanding better welfare for retired police officers. He has also been vocally critical of a recent promotion exercise in the Nigeria Police Force, remarks that have attracted significant attention on social media and in civil society circles.
As of Friday, protests calling for his release continued to gain momentum nationwide, with human rights groups and prominent lawyers describing his detention as politically motivated. His legal team is reportedly preparing to challenge the constitutionality of the detention in court.