By Okechukwu Nwanguma
A shame indeed! The Nigeria Police Force under Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun seems more preoccupied with entertaining distractions than with the urgent task of fighting real criminals and securing Nigerians. Instead of confronting the rising tide of insecurity, the IGP has chosen to weaponise the police in his personal battles against Omoyele Sowore over the latter’s criticisms of him.
The irony is glaring. During the harshest years of military dictatorship under Generals Babangida and Abacha, when journalists and activists were being hounded, newspapers shuttered, and human rights groups targeted, the police, the SSS, and the DMI never went as far as approaching courts to freeze the accounts of media houses or pro-democracy groups. Brutal as those regimes were, this particular line was never crossed. Yet, in a supposed democracy, IGP Egbetokun has taken this unprecedented and dangerous step against Sowore and Sahara Reporters.
Why is the IGP usurping the roles of the National Security Adviser and the EFCC by rushing to court to level allegations of “terrorism financing” and “money laundering” against Sowore and his platform? Who does not see through this for what it is—a personal vendetta, wrapped in legal jargon, aimed at silencing a consistent critic?
Even for those who disagree with Sowore’s methods, the misuse of state power to settle personal scores is indefensible. It does not only damage the integrity of the police institution but also embarrasses the Tinubu administration. No matter how this matter ends, the optics are damning: a democracy where the police chief is perceived as persecuting the media and deploying state machinery for private quarrels.
Worse still, this is not the only media-related controversy surrounding the IGP. He is simultaneously embroiled in another matter involving former ThisDay journalist Azuka Ogujuiba, who has allegedly been harassed and arrested by the police. Two separate media-related battles in quick succession place the IGP—and, by extension, the Tinubu government—under a spotlight that reeks of intolerance and media repression.
The consequences are predictable. Instead of projecting strength, professionalism, and a renewed commitment to security reforms, the police leadership risks being seen as thin-skinned, vengeful, and repressive. This is not only wrong optics but a strategic blunder. Minister of Information, Idris Mohammed—a man widely respected for his decency and level-headedness—must now grapple with the near-impossible task of explaining away such egregious actions that clearly undermine Nigeria’s democratic credentials.
At a time when insecurity is ravaging communities, kidnappers and terrorists roam freely, and citizens cry for safety, the Nigeria Police Force should not be squandering its energies on personal vendettas. IGP Egbetokun must be reminded that his office is not a personal fiefdom. The police belong to Nigerians, not to an individual’s pride.
History will not remember how loud Sowore’s criticisms were, but it will surely remember how the police under Egbetokun responded. Right now, it is responding poorly—and casting a dark shadow on both itself and the Tinubu administration.
Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma is a human rights activist, also Executive Director, RULAAC
