Omoyele Sowore to Take Legal Action Against Nigeria Police Over Alleged Inhumane Detention Conditions

Human rights activist and former Nigerian presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has announced plans to initiate a lawsuit against the Nigeria Police Force for what his legal representatives have described as “inhumane and degrading treatment” during his most recent detention.

In an official statement released on Saturday, Sowore’s lawyer, Tope Temokun, alleged that the incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, August 8, 2025, around 6:00 a.m., when police officers reportedly attempted to forcefully relocate him from one cell to another. According to Temokun, this violent encounter resulted in a fractured arm for Sowore.

The legal team strongly dismissed the police’s official statement, which claimed that Sowore had arrived at the station with his arm already bandaged. Temokun labeled the account as “false, self-indicting, and logically inconsistent.”

Furthermore, the lawyer challenged the Nigeria Police Force to publicly release the full inventory of Sowore’s personal belongings seized during his arrest, insisting that such evidence could either confirm or disprove their narrative.

The statement also revealed that Sowore was denied access to his private medical team. Instead, police allegedly offered him treatment from a non-certified first-aider, without conducting any X-ray scans or professional diagnosis.

According to Temokun, Sowore’s refusal to accept treatment from police medical personnel was to avoid potential evidence manipulation by individuals accused of causing the injury in the first place.

The legal counsel further accused the police of ignoring serious allegations, including the alleged theft of Sowore’s Ray-Ban AI glasses by an officer. This, they argued, contrasted sharply with the rapid public denial issued by the police concerning the assault allegations.

Temokun also refuted the police’s justification for Sowore’s detention, which was based on his refusal to make a statement. He stressed that this decision was entirely within Sowore’s constitutional rights, citing Section 35(2) of the Nigerian Constitution and Section 60(1) of the Police Act 2020 as legal backing.

“The undeniable fact remains: Omoyele Sowore sustained a broken arm while under police custody and direct control. We will explore every available legal remedy, including formal petitions to the Nigeria Police Council and the Police Service Commission,” Temokun declared.

Sowore was released late on Friday, after spending two days in detention. Nonetheless, his legal representatives have vowed to demand a comprehensive account from every officer involved in the incident.