Police Warn against Special Promotion, Sowore Alleges Brutality in Force’s Custody

•Atiku, NLC condemn his arrest

Chuks Okocha, Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Nigeria Police Force, yesterday, warned lobbyists against unwarranted lobbying for special promotion, insisting that it was reserved for operatives, who had demonstrated exceptional tact, brilliance, and integrity in the course of discharging their constitutional duties of law enforcement.

This was as the Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 general elections, Omoyele Sowore, has alleged that he was violently assaulted and injured while in police custody in Abuja.

Consequently, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), have condemned the police over the arrest and alleged brutality against Sowore.

A statement by the Force Spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, stated that the force had observed with concern the growing wave of lobbying and unofficial requests directed at the Inspector-General of Police and the Police Service Commission (PSC) by certain officers seeking special promotions.

This surge, according to the force, was triggered by the misinformation being spread by certain media platforms following the recent approval of accelerated promotions for a number of deserving officers, who have distinguished themselves through exemplary service.

The special promotion has also triggered a uncomplimentary debate in a section of the media, compelling the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to threaten legal action while describing those questioning the legality of the promotion on social media as professional mischief-makers and agents of institutional sabotage.

“The Force wishes to categorically state that these accelerated promotions were not arbitrary but were part of a well-structured reward system, set up by the police leadership, aimed at recognising officers, who had demonstrated outstanding performance, uncommon bravery, professional excellence, and commitment to duty, and the officers who benefited were those who met the standardised guidelines for such accelerated promotion.

“The recent exercise does not signify the commencement of a general or indiscriminate special promotion scheme. In light of recent misleading reports sponsored by a particular online platform suggesting that the Police Force has initiated arbitrary promotions, the Nigeria Police Force firmly cautions the public to disregard such falsehoods.”

These reports, the Spokesperson said, were baseless, misleading, and intended to undermine the integrity of the Force’s promotion process.

But Sowore, a serial police critic, in his verified social media account, said a team of nine police officers, led by a Chief Superintendent of Police from the Inspector-General of Police’s Monitoring Unit, forcefully entered his cell at the Force Intelligence Department around 6am, claiming they were taking him to court.

According to him, when he asked to see the charges against him and insisted on informing his lawyers, the officers, eight of whom were heavily armed, reportedly rough-handled him and broke his arm before whisking him away to another undisclosed police facility.

The incident comes barely 24 hours after Sowore honoured a police invitation from the same IGP Monitoring Unit in Abuja.

He arrived at the Force Headquarters accompanied by his legal representatives and supporters and was subsequently detained.

Meanwhile, Atiku has condemned what he described as shameful abuse of Sowore, who is currently in police custody, saying their action was wrong and unlawful by all those who believed in justice.

Atiku in a statement said, ‘’The treatment of @YeleSowore by the IGP Monitoring Team is a shameful abuse of power. It is wrong, unlawful, and must be condemned by all who believe in justice.

‘’Sowore’s only offence is speaking out against injustice, nepotism, and misrule. For that, he was reportedly attacked at dawn, beaten, had his arm broken, and sprayed with chemicals by policemen acting on petitions from the IGP’s own office.

‘’This is personal vendetta, not policing. Even the Nigeria Police Regulation forbids this. Regulation 367 states: No police officer shall institute any legal proceeding in his own personal interest or in connection with matters arising out of his public duties.”

The former Vice President said, ‘’The IGP cannot be a complainant and still deploy the force to carry out his grievance. This is not about Sowore alone, it is an attack on every Nigerian who dares to speak truth to power. This must stop. And Sowore should be released immediately, and unconditionally, too.’’

Also, the NLC has deplored the arrest and detention of Sowole by the Police.

In a statement by the NLC president, Joe Ajaero, the labour movement condemned what he described as frequent arrest and long detention of the activist.

“We strongly condemn the frequent arrest  and long spells in detention  of Sowore, a renowned civil rights activist. It is all  the more  unacceptable if he was injured in the course of his arrest as it is being alleged.

“If Sowore has offended any big man or woman in government or has in any way offended the law,  they should be bold enough to explore the legal options available such as going to court, but certainly not to resort to this level of harassment. How many times has Sowore been arrested this year alone?

“If the state can arbitrarily detain Sowore today, no journalist, no trade unionist, no activist, and no ordinary citizen is safe tomorrow. We cannot allow Nigeria to slide back into the dark days of dictatorship, where fear replaces freedom and dissent is met with brute force.

“It soils the image of the government before its citizens and the international community when it behaves in a way that suggests that it is above the law.

“We are duty-bound to not only alert  the nation to the inherent dangers of government observing these rights in breach but to  point out  the consequences of an observance in breach. 

“Government like all the other citizens should be law-abiding not when it suits it but unconditionally. Irrespective what anyone may think, Sowore has become a  moral compass we can ill-afford to treat with levity.

“Accordingly, we demand therefore the immediate and unconditional release of Omoyele Sowore; an end to the harassment and intimidation of activists and all voices of dissent; full adherence to the rule of law and constitutional guarantees of free speech and assembly.”