Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticized the treatment of activist and journalist Yele Sowore by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Team, describing the actions as unlawful and demanding his immediate release.
In a statement released Thursday, Atiku accused police officers of conducting what he termed a personal vendetta against the publisher of Sahara Reporters, rather than legitimate law enforcement activities.
The former presidential candidate condemned the alleged physical assault on Sowore, detailing the extent of the reported injuries sustained during the incident.”Sowore’s only offence is speaking out against injustice, nepotism, and misrule.
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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,” Atiku stated.
He characterized the police action as exceeding the bounds of professional law enforcement. “This is personal vendetta, not policing,” the former Vice President declared.
Atiku pointed to specific police regulations that he claims were violated in Sowore’s treatment, arguing that the IGP cannot simultaneously serve as complainant and deploy police forces for personal grievances.
“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),” he quoted.
The former Vice President emphasized the conflict of interest inherent in the situation: “The IGP cannot be a complainant and still deploy the force to carry out his grievance.”
Atiku framed the incident as part of a larger pattern of intimidation against critics of the government, suggesting that Sowore’s treatment represents a threat to all Nigerians who challenge authority.
“This is not about Sowore alone, it is an attack on every Nigerian who dares to speak truth to power,” he warned.
The former Vice President described the police action as representative of systemic problems with how dissenting voices are treated in the country.
Atiku’s statement characterized the treatment of Sowore as fundamentally wrong and called for widespread condemnation of the police actions.
“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,” he stated.
The former Vice President concluded his statement with an unequivocal demand for Sowore’s freedom, emphasizing that no conditions should be attached to his release.
“This must stop. And Sowore should be released immediately, and unconditionally, too,” Atiku declared.
The statement adds to growing criticism of the treatment of journalists and activists in Nigeria, with civil society organizations and opposition figures increasingly voicing concerns about press freedom and the right to peaceful dissent.
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