Human rights activist Deji Adeyanju has condemned the Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun in strong terms over the detention of human rights activist Omoyele Sowore.
Sowore was reportedly detained after he was invited for questioning over a petition alleging forgery and criminal defamation.
Sources said Sowore, who voluntarily honoured the invitation and arrived at the Force Headquarters in Abuja in the company of his legal team, A.K. Musa, Marshal Abubakar and several supporters, was asked to wait for a Deputy Inspector General of Police following his demand to see an original copy of the petition against him.
He told the police that if he did not see the petition against him, he would not write his statement.
Consequently, the source said a valid court order approving Sowore’s detention was secured.
It was further gathered that Sowore’s lawyers requested to see the court order that granted the police the right to justify his detention, a request which the police allegedly did not oblige them.
Reacting to his detention, Adeyanju berated Egbetokun, describing the police boss in unflattering terms.
In a statement on his verified page on Facebook, Adeyanju described the police chief as “the most useless IGP in the history of Nigeria.”
Adeyanju argued that the detention of the publisher of Sahara Reporters negates the Police Act 2020 and Regulation 367 of the Nigerian Police Regulations, which forbids a police officer from using his office to settle personal vendettas.
He added that Sowore’s detention is a gross abuse of office by the police IG.
Adeyanju’s statement partly reads, “Egbetokun, the most useless IGP in the history of the Nigerian Police, has ordered the detention of Sowore for criticising his incompetent and favouritism promotion and numerous infractions.
“How do you promote your personal staff arbitrarily just like that?”
“The Police Act 2020 & Regulation 367 of the Nigeria Police Regulations forbid a police officer from settling personal scores and vendettas via the instrumentalities of their offices, but Egbetokun is too shameless to care and continues to abuse his office.”
Adeyanju urged President Bola Tinubu to sack the Police IG, saying, “President Tinubu must sack him now. Egbetokun must go!”
