Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) and prominent rights activist, has reportedly sustained a broken hand following an alleged assault by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja.
The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Thursday at the Force Intelligence Department (FID) Headquarters, where Sowore was being detained after honouring an invitation from the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit on Wednesday.
According to a statement shared via Sowore’s official Instagram handle, a police team led by a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) from the IGP Monitoring Unit forcefully entered his detention cell around 6:00 a.m., allegedly assaulted him, and broke his right hand before whisking him away to an undisclosed location.
The post reads in part:
“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.”
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Details surrounding the motive for the early-morning action remain unclear. However, the development has sparked outrage among supporters and human rights advocates who are demanding answers and calling for Sowore’s immediate release.
As of press time, the Nigeria Police Force had not issued an official statement on the incident or confirmed Sowore’s current whereabouts.
Sowore, who is also the publisher of Sahara Reporters and a long-time critic of government policies, has had several run-ins with security agencies over the years, most notably his 2019 arrest and prolonged detention over a planned protest.
More details about his arrest to follow.