Earlier today Mr. Sowore voluntarily visited the Police at the Federal Investigation Department (FID) led by Deputy Inspector General of Police Dasuki Galandanchi to honor an invitation extended to him over some allegations regarding his public encounter with policemen illegally conducting a stop and search in Lagos.
Upon arrival, Sowore was ushered into Mr. Galandanchi’s office, where the police officer beckoned him to take a seat and then requested that the media team camped outside the building be allowed in to witness the proceedings. Mr. Galandanchi then read some allegations against Mr. Sowore to the media with bluster. He then abruptly left the media parley, stating that Sowore would meet with a team of police officers for an interview.
The interview revolved around Sowore’s comments on police officers in Lagos, who were operating an unauthorized checkpoint to extort motorists, thereby causing significant traffic congestion at the busy international airport road.
Sowore admonished the officers, pointing out that their actions were causing traffic and urging them to cease their illegal activities. When instructed to park, seemingly to facilitate extortion, Sowore refused, requesting to speak with their supervisor, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos.
The police subsequently asked Sowore to leave. The incident was captured on camera, and Sowore uploaded the footage to his Facebook page and other social media handles. During today’s interview, the two police officers were unable to provide a basic response to Sowore’s initial question, which asked them to identify the location of the alleged crime in Lagos.
Further questioning was suspended, and Sowore was asked to prepare a written defense.
However, Sowore chose not to provide a written statement and instead requested that his statement be electronically recorded and transcribed for his verification.
The police team conducting the interviews temporarily left and returned with their supervisor, Mr. Galandanchi, who stated that Sowore’s bail had been approved and that the conditions would be communicated by the interviewing officers. Sowore notified Galandanchi that he would not accept bail under conditions that jeopardized his innocence, integrity, and fundamental rights.
As anticipated, the police officers returned with typewritten conditions that stipulated Sowore surrender his international passport and provide a senior civil servant employed by the federal government at level 17; Sowore promptly declined these conditions and informed the police officers.
Several hours later, the police officers returned and stated that Mr. Galandanchi had reviewed the bail conditions, revising the requirement to a level 16 officer in the civil service, and asserted that Sowore’s lawyer, the prominent Nigerian human rights attorney Femi Falana SAN, had negotiated with them.
However, Mr. Falana shared a note he sent to Galandanchi, reminding him that courts have consistently ruled that requiring civil servants to serve as guarantors in police bail processes is unlawful.
At the end of the interrogation, Mr. Sowore was taken to a police detention center, specifically the “Abattoir” unit, which has a notorious reputation for torture and extrajudicial killings. It is crucial to emphasize that, up to this point, the Nigerian Police have not filed any formal charges against Mr Sowore, aside from his continued opposition to the ruling party and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, whom he has consistently denounced for his impunity, abuse of office, and excessive force against peaceful protesters during the 2024 #Endbadgovernance protest. Additionally, the IGP has taken umbrage with Mr Sowore description of him as “illegal IGP” following his tenure extension beyond his retirement age in 2024. Sowore is currently being held in police custody, and arrangements are being made to transfer him to Lagos in an attempt to frustrate and penalize him for his opposition to impunity, police abuse, and corruption. #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria
UPDATE: The PoliceNG team assigned to my case has informed me that the DIG of FID, Dasuki Galandachi, has reevaluated my bail conditions, necessitating the production of a level 16 civil servant and the surrender of my international passport, a condition I have declined outright.
I refuse to participate in any arrangement that undermines my personal integrity.
Below is also the response of my lawyer, Femi Falana SAN to the ridiculous request of the Nigeria Police.
Dear Hon DIG,
Thanks for reducing the bail condition of Mr. Omoyele Sowore to a surety of level 16.
However, i wish to point out that such bail condition has been declared illegal by the Court of Appeal in the case of Dasuki V. Director-General, S.S.S. [2020]10 NWLR PT.1731 PG. 136-143 where Adah JCA (now JSC) held as follows:
“Let me quickly say that of concern it is to us that as a court we must be ready and sensitive enough not to allow or do anything that will run foul of the law. The issue of involving civil servants or Public Officers in the Public Service of the Federation and the State in bail of people accused of criminal offences has never been the practice in Nigeria or any part of the civilized world. It was an oversight on our part to allow it in. Our Civil and Public Service Rules do not have any room for it. Expecting a Level 16 Servant to own property worth N100,000,000, will be running counter to the Public Service Rules and by extension the war against corruption. It is in this respect that I will act ex debito justitiae to ensure that the aspect of involving serving Public Servant below the status of Level 16 Officer in either the state or Public Service of the Federation or any of its agencies be removed and I so order.”
Sowore is in police custody and had given this phone to a colleague before he was jailed!