A lawyer representing political activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has accused the Nigeria Police Force of subjecting his client to inhumane treatment while in custody.
Sowore was detained on Wednesday after honouring an invitation by the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit.
In a statement on Thursday, Sowore’s counsel, Tope Temokun, alleged that the activist was moved from police custody to an undisclosed location in the early hours of Thursday under circumstances that resulted in physical injury.
Temokun claimed that the activist sustained an injury to his right arm during the transfer and alleged that noxious gas was released into his holding cell before he was moved.
The statement, titled “Police move against Sowore is a murder plot in disguise…”, read in part, ” In his characteristic law-abiding manner, Sowore honoured the police invitation yesterday, August 6, 2025. But what followed was not the normal process of the law—it was the reenactment of the dark days of military tyranny, where state institutions become weapons of vengeance and vendetta.
“After honouring the invitation, Sowore was detained overnight, and in the early hours of this morning, he was forcibly moved to an unknown God-knows-where, with such violent handling that it dislocated and severely injured his right arm. As if physical injury was not enough, it was gathered in this calculated attack on his life what is believed to be noxious gas was reportedly released into”
Describing the treatment as a “calculated attack,” Temokun drew parallels with past cases involving late political figures such as Gani Fawehinmi and Moshood Abiola, who were allegedly subjected to harmful conditions in custody.
He described the action of the police as “vivid attempts on his health and life”.
Temokun stated, “The information reaching us now is that he has been moved to an underground cell. Let it be clear: these are not accidents, nor negligence, or incompetence—this playing out events are vivid attempts on his health, his life, and his dignity.
“Let it be known to all, both home and abroad, that any harm that comes to Omoyele Sowore, in body or in spirit, will be fully accounted for, and the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police, and those who ordered this atrocity will stand answerable before the law and before the people.”
Temokun called for Sowore’s immediate and unconditional release and demanded a public apology from the police for what he described as a violation of Sowore’s human rights.
“We warn the Nigeria Police to immediately shelve this satanic script of slow assassination, release Sowore unconditionally, and tender a public apology for the cruel violation of his human rights and bodily safety, ” he said.
When contacted, Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said he would return the call.
As of the time of filing this report, he had yet to do so.
