Nigerian activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has refused to honour a fresh police invitation unless it is backed by a valid legal summons and a copy of the petition against him.
The Nigeria Police Force had re-invited Sowore for questioning on allegations of forgery and inciting disturbance. The initial appointment, scheduled for 4 August at the IGP Monitoring Unit in Abuja, was postponed due to the absence of Deputy Commissioner of Police Akin Fakorede, who was said to be on a national assignment in the North-east.
In a statement posted Tuesday morning, Sowore confirmed the police had reached out again, requesting his appearance by 3:00 p.m. today. However, he rejected the request, describing the earlier invitation as “legally invalid” and filled with “fabrications.”
“The letter claimed I was being invited over an unknown offence ‘inciting disturbance’ a term that exists nowhere in Nigerian criminal law,” he wrote, citing Section 53(2) of the “ACJA 2025,” a law he says does not exist.
Sowore, a fierce critic of the current Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, said he would only comply if the police provided an official, properly signed summons and a copy of the original complaint.
The police have not responded publicly to the activist’s demands or clarified the status of the invitation.
The renewed invitation comes amid tensions following a protest by retired police officers at Force Headquarters, which Sowore helped amplify. During the 21 July demonstration, he accused a police officer of stealing his smart glasses, a matter he formally reported to authorities.
Sowore has had multiple run-ins with security agencies, including pending cybercrime charges stemming from his criticism of the IGP. He maintains the cases are politically motivated.
