Former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has vowed to defy police warnings and lead a protest in Lagos over the ongoing illegal demolitions in the Oworonshoki area of the state.
Sowore made the declaration shortly after he was granted bail in Abuja on Monday, alongside Nnamdi Kanu’s Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and 11 other protesters. The group had been arrested during last week’s #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Speaking after his release, the activist described their detention as “illegal, unjust, and inhumane,” accusing the Bola Tinubu administration and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of orchestrating their arrest.
According to him, plans are already underway to travel to Lagos to lead the demonstration against what he termed the government’s “reckless disregard for citizens’ rights and property.”
“They (the police) can warn themselves; they can’t warn me,” Sowore declared. “You can’t warn me about my rights. They are the ones who need to be reminded of their responsibilities. It won’t stop me. It’s not the first time those paid to protect citizens have acted irresponsibly by warning people not to exercise their rights.”
Sowore also criticized the police for attempting to enforce a court order that purportedly sought to restrict protests, calling their actions unlawful and unconstitutional.
“It’s not the job of the police to enforce court orders, especially when they have a vested interest,” he said. “Even if there was a valid court order, it was never properly served. And even then, the courts recognize limits when fundamental human rights are at stake.”
He accused security agencies of having a long history of targeting him since the 1990s, saying some of the officers who once persecuted him are now “struggling to collect their pensions.”
Meanwhile, the Lagos State chapter of the African Action Congress (AAC) has condemned the warning issued by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, against planned protests in the state.
In a statement signed by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Adetayo Babatunde Daniel, the AAC described the Commissioner’s remarks as “a brazen attempt to intimidate citizens and suppress their constitutional rights.”
The Commissioner, during a press briefing at the Iyana-Oworo axis of the Third Mainland Bridge on Monday, had cautioned Sowore and others against mobilising demonstrations, claiming the police had deployed officers across the state to prevent any disruption of public order.
The AAC, however, accused Jimoh of overstepping his authority, noting that the police had no right to label residents affected by the demolitions as “criminals” or “harbourers of criminals.”
“It is shocking that a police officer would justify the government’s actions and even discuss compensation matters as if he were a member of the APC government,” the statement read.
According to the party, many victims of the demolition have rejected what they described as an illegal ₦500,000 compensation scheme allegedly arranged by local authorities and government-linked figures.
The AAC urged the Lagos Police Command to retract its threats and instead uphold citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and free expression.
“The Commissioner of Police has clearly acted in connivance with the Lagos government to oppress the people. Nigerians will not be intimidated into silence,” the statement concluded.
As tensions rise, all eyes remain on Lagos, where Sowore has vowed to make good on his promise to lead a peaceful protest despite warnings from security agencies.