Former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has vowed to storm Lagos State for a protest against the ongoing illegal demolitions in the Oworonshoki area, despite warnings from the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh.
Sowore made the declaration shortly after he was granted bail in Abuja on Monday, alongside Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor; Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu; and 11 other protesters arrested during last week’s #FreeNnamdiKanuNow demonstration in the Federal Capital Territory.
According to him, the group had just regained freedom from what he described as an “illegal, unjust, and inhumane detention” allegedly ordered by the Bola Tinubu administration and enforced by what he termed an “illegal Inspector-General of Police,” Kayode Egbetokun.
“They (the police) can warn themselves; they can’t warn me. You can’t warn me about my rights. It’s not the first time those paid to protect citizens have acted irresponsibly. Their threats won’t stop me,” Sowore declared.
He criticized the police for attempting to enforce a court order barring protests, arguing that such actions lie outside the constitutional duties of law enforcement officers.
“When a court gives an order and it’s violated, you go back to the court. It’s not the job of the police to enforce court orders, especially when they have an interest in the matter. Even then, the order was never properly served,” he added.
Sowore further maintained that fundamental human rights cannot be curtailed by executive orders or police threats, noting that similar intimidation tactics had been used against him since the early 1990s.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State chapter of the African Action Congress (AAC) has condemned Commissioner Jimoh’s remarks as an attempt to intimidate citizens and suppress their constitutional right to peaceful protest.
In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Adetayo Babatunde Daniel, the party accused the police of labeling victims of the demolitions as “criminals” or “harbourers of criminals,” describing the statement as “baseless and wicked.”
The AAC further alleged that the police were acting in collusion with the state government, questioning why the Commissioner discussed compensation matters “as though he were part of the APC government.”
According to the party, many residents have rejected an alleged ₦500,000 compensation scheme purportedly arranged by local officials and government-linked figures.
The AAC demanded that the Commissioner retract his statement and respect citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and expression.
