Human rights activist and founder of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has accused the police of declaring him wanted after failing to execute a shoot-on-sight order issued by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, in the Oworonshoki area of Lagos earlier on Monday.
In a post shared on his verified social media handle on Monday, Sowore alleged that the police declaration followed the officers’ “failure to execute a shoot-on-sight order” purportedly issued by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, in the Oworonshoki area of Lagos earlier in the day.
“The Lagos Police Commissioner, Moshood Jimoh, has reportedly declared me wanted for disturbance of public peace, allegedly as a result of his officers’ inability to execute a shoot- on- sight order given by his illegal IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, in Oworonshoki today,” Sowore wrote.
He added that efforts to reach Jimoh directly had been unsuccessful.
“Despite my repeated attempts to contact Nigeria Police Force Commissioner Jimoh, he has not taken my calls. Nevertheless, I plan to meet with him soon to address his declaration,” the activist said.
The development comes hours after the Lagos State Police Command announced that Sowore and some unnamed associates were being sought for allegedly planning to incite public disorder and block major roads, including the Third Mainland Bridge and Lekki Tollgate.
Jimoh had earlier told journalists that anyone attempting to “cause disturbance or obstruct movement” in the state would face the full weight of the law.
The protest, organised by the Take It Back (TIB) Movement alongside residents of Oworonshoki, was aimed at condemning the alleged illegal demolition of residential buildings and shops by state authorities.
Many of the demonstrators were reportedly displaced families who accused the government of rendering them homeless without prior notice or compensation.
Eyewitnesses said the protest, which began peacefully, turned violent when policemen stormed the area and fired multiple rounds of teargas to disperse the crowd.
At least, seven protesters were reportedly arrested, while several others sustained injuries.
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A witness told journalists that the confrontation began moments after Sowore arrived at the scene to address the protesters.
“Sowore had just come to meet with the people. He hadn’t even started speaking when police officers began firing teargas. Everywhere scattered. We were only asking for justice,” the eyewitness said.
Reports indicated that the situation escalated after police operatives, acting on what sources described as “direct instructions from above,” intensified the use of force as Sowore attempted to access the protest ground.
The activist, who also leads the #RevolutionNow movement, was said to have been specifically targeted on the orders of Jimoh.
Sowore’s appearance at the Oworonshoki rally came barely a week after his release from detention following his arrest during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja, which temporarily paralysed parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Meanwhile, residents of Oworonshoki expressed outrage over the demolition that triggered the protest, accusing the Lagos State government of acting without empathy or due process.
“They came early in the morning and started destroying our homes. No notice, no relocation plan, nothing,” one resident lamented.
“Now they are arresting those who speak up.”
