Human rights activist and 2027 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has called for the removal of the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, CP Nasiru Bello Kankarofi, over what he described as repeated arrests and detention of citizens and political critics in the state.
Sowore made the demand in a post on X, accusing the police commissioner of facilitating what he described as political intimidation under the administration of Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
He said the Nigeria Police Force must not be used to suppress free speech, silence dissent or settle political disputes on behalf of the state government.
“The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, CP Nasiru Bello Kankarofi, must be removed from office over his repeated arrests and detention of citizens and political critics in the state [by] Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo,” Sowore wrote.
He said citizens of Kogi State have constitutional rights to express their opinions, criticise the government, organise and peacefully dissent.
“The Nigeria Police Force must never become an instrument for suppressing free speech, silencing dissent or settling political scores on behalf of any governor,” he said.
“Kogi citizens have constitutional rights to speak, criticize their government, organize and peacefully dissent. Those rights are not privileges to be granted or withdrawn by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo or the Commissioner of Police.”
Sowore further alleged that Kankarofi had “severally facilitated political intimidation” since assuming office as the state police commissioner.
“The CP has severally facilitated political intimidation under this command. Demand that CP Nasiru Bello Kankarofi must go!” he added.
His comments followed the reported arrest of Elijah Olorunsuwa, a lecturer at the University of Ilorin and social commentator, by officers of the Kogi State Police Command over allegations of cybercrime linked to WhatsApp messages concerning a road project in the state.
According to a report by TheCable, Olorunsuwa was arrested at about 5am on September 16 at his residence in Ilorin, Kwara State, by about eight police officers and taken to Kogi State.
The lecturer said he asked the officers to produce a warrant of arrest, but none was provided.
He also requested to drive his own vehicle to the nearest police area command in Ilorin but said the officers later drove him to Kogi after initially agreeing to take him to the Kwara State Police Command headquarters.
Olorunsuwa was released later that day and was asked to return the following day.
He was reportedly shown a petition written by Jerry Omodara, the security adviser to the Kogi State Government, accusing him of making “false allegation and publications” against the government on social media.
The petition centred on the Kabba-Oke-Offin-Olle-Iluke road project.
Omodara alleged that Olorunsuwa had claimed in a social media post that the project was sponsored by the World Bank, with the Kogi State Government required to provide counterpart funding.
The security adviser described the claim as “false, malicious and with the intention to deceive unsuspecting public and discredit the government of the day.”
The petition reportedly asked the police to apprehend Olorunsuwa and require him to produce documents from the World Bank supporting his claim, failing which he should be charged with cybercrime and prosecuted.
Olorunsuwa told TheCable that the matter began after he commented on an Oke Offin community WhatsApp group that the road project was sponsored by the World Bank.
He said Omodara subsequently asked him to delete the comment and threatened legal action if he refused.
Olorunsuwa said he initially declined but later deleted the comment following an appeal from elderly members of the WhatsApp group.
He said he subsequently contacted Omodara by telephone and was told that Governor Ododo had directed that he be prosecuted over the post.
According to the lecturer, Omodara later asked him to publish a retraction, which he refused to do.
Omodara, however, gave a different account of the incident.
Speaking to TheCable, the security adviser said Olorunsuwa had published a “false claim” about the road project and that he asked him to retract the statement because the project was funded solely by the Kogi State Government.
He said Olorunsuwa refused to retract the post, prompting the state government to petition the police commissioner.
The incident came days after Governor Ododo directed security agencies in Kogi State to stop making night arrests and invading residents’ homes under the cover of darkness.
Ododo gave the directive on September 7, saying anyone with a case against a citizen should wait until daytime, invite the person lawfully and follow due process.
Separately, the Alliance of Civil Society for Good Governance recently accused the Kogi State Government of using the police to intimidate political opponents following the reported prolonged detention of two supporters of a politician in the state.
The group also called for Kankarofi’s removal and urged the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the allegations.
The latest controversy has therefore placed renewed attention on the activities of the Kogi State Police Command, particularly allegations surrounding arrests, detention and the treatment of citizens and critics of the government.
While Sowore and civil society groups have called for action against the police commissioner, the accounts surrounding Olorunsuwa’s arrest and the road project dispute remain contested, with the lecturer and the Kogi State Government’s security adviser presenting different accounts of what led to the police action.