By Pius Awunah
The police have detained human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore who has been allegedly moved secretly from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja, where he reported on Wednesday,August 6,2025, following an official invitation.
Sowore had accused the police of intimidation and abuse of power after being detained on Wednesday evening.
It was gathered on Thursday that the activist was covertly taken from the FCID premises around 6 a.m. and moved to an undisclosed location.
“His location is unknown; a CSP (Chief Superintendent of Police) who works with Muyiwa Adejobi (Force spokesperson) came this morning and forcefully took him away from the FCID office, where he was yesterday, after breaking his hand,” a source alleged.
“His hand is currently broken because when the officer came this morning, he was ready to take him out of the cell without his clothes, but Sowore had to resist and said he was not going out of the place cell without wearing his clothes”,the source added.
The activist had arrived at the Force Headquarters in Abuja carrying a travel bag, as he honoured an invitation from the Inspector General of Police’s Monitoring Unit over a petition reportedly filed against him.
Sowore, who arrived at exactly 12:16 p.m., was accompanied by his lawyers, Barristers A.K. Musa and Marshal Abubakar, along with a crowd of supporters chanting anti-government and anti-Kayode Egbetokun songs.
His visibly packed travel bag contained personal essentials — including toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, clothing, books, and other items — a symbolic gesture suggesting he was prepared for possible detention.
Tensions escalated as members of the Take It Back Movement and other allied activist groups issued a two-hour ultimatum to the police to either release Sowore or face mass resistance.
Sowore had earlier rejected the police’s invitation, describing it as “defective and riddled with legal errors,” casting doubt on its validity.
The original allegation against him — “inciting disturbance,” a term not recognised under Nigerian law — was later replaced with “forgery and criminal defamation.”
In a post on his X handle on Wednesday, Sowore revealed that he was detained after honouring a police invitation. While in custody, he said he was served two petitions, which he claimed originated from what he described as the “illegal office of the IGP.”
He noted that the petitions were handed over by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Akin Fakorede, a former officer of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The ex-presidential candidate said the first petition accused him of forgery, while the second was reportedly filed by one Bukola Yemisi Kuti, whom sources said was promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) due to her alleged relationship with the Inspector General of Police.
The second petition accuses Sowore of “criminal defamation.”
“The former SARS officer, DCP Akin Fakorede presented two petitions to Sowore from the IGP’s office, one alleged forgery and the second written by Bukola Yemisi Kuti, who was promoted to ACP because alleges ‘Criminal Defamation,’” he wrote on Wednesday.
Critics say the case reflects a pattern of state harassment against dissenting voices and further undermines public confidence in the rule of law.
Efforts to get the reaction of the Force Public Relations Officer (FPR0),Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Olumuyiwa Adejobi,failed as he neither picked up his calls by our reporter nor responded to messages sent to him via WhatsApp.
