The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has condemned what it described as the violent treatment of activist and journalist, Omoyele Sowore, by officers of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja.
According to RULAAC, credible reports indicate that at about 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 7, a police team led by a Chief Superintendent of Police from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit stormed Sowore’s detention cell at the Force Intelligence Department (FID). The officers allegedly attempted to drag him to court by force, breaking his right hand in the process, before whisking him away to an undisclosed location.
The group said the incident reflects “cruelty and excessive force” and accused the police leadership of descending into “vengeful and authoritarian policing.” It further alleged that the pattern of actions suggests a personal vendetta rather than professional law enforcement.
RULAAC reminded the Nigerian Police Force that the Constitution guarantees the rights to dignity, due process, and freedom from torture or degrading treatment under Nigerian and international law.
The organisation demanded an immediate end to all forms of abuse against Sowore, urgent medical treatment for his injuries, full respect for his due process rights, and an independent investigation into the incident with sanctions for officers found culpable.
It also called on the Nigerian government to rein in the IGP Monitoring Unit, which it accused of operating as a “tool for repression and vendetta.”
“Nigeria is a constitutional democracy, not a police state,” RULAAC said. “The actions of the police must reflect professionalism, impartiality, and a commitment to the rule of law, not personal grievances or political expediency.”
