Nigerian publisher and activist, Omoyele Sowore has broken his silence after being declared wanted by the Lagos State Police.
Reacting, he accused the police force of targeting him following a failed ambush.
In a post on Facebook, Sowore wrote:
“In 1994, then-Lagos Police Commissioner James Danbaba, in connivance with the Vice-Chancellor and authorities at the University of Lagos, orchestrated an attempt on my life using campus gangs.
When this attempt failed, he declared me wanted after violently arresting all the student union leaders and falsely charging them for armed robbery. They also expelled us from UNILAG. Danbaba was later arrested alongside Major Al Mustapha for his role in aiding General Sani Abacha in several deadly attacks on opposition figures including Kudirat Abiola and Alex Ibru. He died a miserable death years later!”
Sowore added that Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, is “appearing to follow a similar dangerous path,” claiming that officers were sent to ambush him today and, when the attempt failed, the police issued a wanted notice.
The Lagos State Police declared him wanted in connection with plans to disrupt public peace and obstruct traffic on the Third Mainland Bridge during protests over demolitions at Oworonshoki. Police Commissioner Moshood Jimoh said Sowore and others were under investigation for their alleged role in the unrest.
Sowore described the move as politically motivated, saying, “I was informed that he dispatched police officers to ambush me today. When this attempt failed, they declared me wanted.”
He also noted that several attempts to reach the police commissioner for clarification went unanswered, adding that he intends to meet with him to resolve the issue.
