Rights group accuses IGP of vendetta against Sowore, threatens mass protest

The President of De-Advocates for Justice Human Rights Organisation (AJ), Comrade Israel Joe, has issued a strong condemnation of what he describes as a personal and politically motivated vendetta by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, against human rights activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore.

In a statement made available to press outlets in Warri, Joe called for the immediate discontinuation of any legal or administrative harassment against Sowore, warning that civil society groups will not remain silent in the face of perceived injustice.

“This is an antique of the ruling class to silence dissenting voices, especially that of a patriotic activist, nationalist, Pan-African journalist, and businessman in the person of Comrade Omoyele Sowore through a counter-productive court process,” Joe stated.

He decried the attempts by the police to probe Sowore’s personal financial records, labeling it a vindictive move aimed at intimidation rather than justice. Joe said such actions are becoming characteristic of a government that fears accountability and legitimate opposition.

Joe further warned that civil society organizations and pro-democracy activists would stage a peaceful occupation of the court premises on the day of any hearing involving Sowore — a show of solidarity aimed at resisting what he described as an erosion of civil liberties.

“If the vendetta continues, we and other concerned groups will occupy the court in solemn solidarity — either to witness justice prevail or to resist the subversive will of the powers that be,” he declared.

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Drawing parallels with his own experience, the rights advocate recalled how he was detained and threatened with financial investigation by the Delta State Police Command following his leadership role in the #EndHardship protest earlier in the year.

“I was detained for hours while the police scrambled for my financial records to implicate me. However, they found none,” he noted, adding that the tactic was clearly designed to criminalize activism and discourage public dissent.

The statement has sparked fresh debate around the shrinking space for human rights and civil discourse in Nigeria, especially as activists and opposition figures face mounting legal and administrative pressures.

Joe’s remarks add to growing concerns from local and international observers about the weaponization of state institutions against critics of the government.

Neither the Nigeria Police Force nor the office of the Inspector-General had responded to the allegations at the time of filing this report.