Nigerian publisher and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has reacted to reports that he has been declared wanted by the Lagos State Police Command, accusing the authorities of political persecution and a failed attempt to ambush him.
In a statement shared via his Facebook page, the Sahara Reporters founder drew parallels between the current situation and a similar experience he faced as a student activist in the 1990s.
“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,” Sowore recalled.
He went on to claim that the late Danbaba, who was later linked to Major Al-Mustapha during the military regime of General Sani Abacha, “died a miserable death years later” — a reference Sowore used to warn against what he described as a recurring abuse of power.
Sowore alleged that Nigeria’s current Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, is “following a similar dangerous path,” stating that police officers attempted to ambush him before declaring him wanted.
“I was informed that he dispatched police officers to ambush me today. When this attempt failed, they declared me wanted,” he wrote.
The Lagos State Police Command had earlier declared Sowore wanted in connection with an alleged plan to disrupt public peace and obstruct traffic on the Third Mainland Bridge during protests against recent demolitions at Oworonshoki.
Police Commissioner Moshood Jimoh said Sowore and several others were under investigation for their purported roles in organizing the demonstration.
Sowore, however, described the allegations as politically motivated, insisting that he has committed no offense. He also stated that his attempts to contact the Police Commissioner for clarification were unsuccessful but expressed his intention to meet with him to “resolve the issue.”