Detained activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has described his arrest as baseless and politically motivated, accusing the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) of orchestrating his detention to silence dissent. Speaking from custody, Sowore alleged that his ordeal began after he was attacked by unidentified persons early in the morning, only for the police to detain him without justification.
“There is no basis for my arrest in the first place. There is no basis for my attack in the first place. There is no basis for any citizen in Nigeria to be arrested by the IG because the IG feels threatened… This shows to you that Nigeria is headed by headless people,” he said.
Sowore also claimed that while in custody, his hand was broken and he was denied proper medical care, with a nurse brought in instead of a doctor. He accused the police leadership of attempting to manipulate public perception by bringing the press to see him rather than addressing his grievances.
“What should have been done is to swallow their pride, release me from detention, apologise to me, and ensure I can go for proper treatment. But they want to hide… This is the height of foolishness on the part of the IG. I’m ashamed of the President of Nigeria that under his watch, Nigeria has become this kind of foolish theatre,” Sowore stated.
