The Nigeria Police Force has postponed a scheduled interview with human rights activist and SaharaReporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, over allegations of forgery and inciting public disturbance.
The police postponed the appointment without fixing a new date, Peak Newspaper Nigeria reports.
They had earlier invited Mr Sowore to appear before the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit in Abuja on Monday, for questioning regarding a case, which they claimed, was reported on 31 July with Mr Sowore’s prominently featuring in it.
However, in a message shared by Mr Sowore on Sunday evening, the police said the meeting had been deferred due to the unavailability of the Head of the Monitoring Unit, Deputy Commissioner of Police Akin Fakorede, who has been assigned to an “urgent national assignment” in the North-east.
“Please be informed that your meeting with DCP Akin Fakorede, Head of IGP Monitoring Unit, slated for Monday, 4th August 2025, has been postponed,” the message from Hafiz Garba, the investigating officer, read.
“This is due to the unavailability of the Head on that date, as he will be attending to an urgent national assignment in the North East. A new date will be fixed and you will be notified accordingly.”
Before the news of the postponement broke late Saturday, Peak Newspaper Nigeria reported that Mr Sowore had expressed his readiness to honour the police invitation and called on his supporters to join him.
He alleged that the move had ulterior motives and was intended to harass him.
The police invitation, dated 1 August and signed by Mr Fakorede, did not provide the details of the case against Mr Sowore.
However, it comes just lest than two weeks after Mr Sowore played active roles in the retired police officers’ protest on 21 July at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
The demonstration, in which Mr Sowore played a leading role, retired police officers, and other activists, called for the removal of police personnel from the Contributory Pension Scheme and demanded improved welfare for retired officers.
During the protest, Mr Sowore alleged that his Ray-Ban Meta AI smart glasses were stolen by a police officer. He reported the alleged theft in multiple posts on 23, 24, 25, and 26 July.
In a follow-up, Mr Sowore named the alleged culprit as Aku Victor Chiemere, said to be a cameraman attached to the office of the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi.
“Yesterday, I submitted another petition to the Nigeria Police Force in the Asokoro division.
“This petition concerns the theft of my Ray-Ban AI-powered eyeglasses, which were stolen by Aku Victor Chiemere, a police cameraman working with the Force PPRO, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi,” Mr Sowore said.
He added that his lawyer, Tope Temokun, had earlier submitted a petition to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), but they were referred to the nearest divisional police station. “We know it is a game!” he wrote.
The police have not officially responded to the theft allegation.
The former presidential candidate has continued to champion the mobilisation for a follow-up protest of the retired cops later this month.
Mr Sowore alleged that his Ray-Ban Meta AI smart glasses were stolen by a police agent during the last protest.
Sharing a video clip capturing the supposed scene when the glasses were snatched from his face, Mr Sowore has reported the alleged theft in multiple posts on 23, 24, 25, and 26 July.
In his relentless campaign since the day of the incident, he has called out one Aku Victor Chiemere, who he described as a cameraman attached to the office of the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, as the suspect.
In a follow-up, Mr Sowore said, “Yesterday, I submitted another petition to the Nigeria Police Force in the Asokoro division.
“This petition concerns the theft of my Ray-Ban AI-powered eyeglasses, which were stolen by Aku Victor Chiemere, a police cameraman working with the Force PPRO, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi.”
He added that his lawyer, Tope Temokun, had earlier submitted a petition to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), but they were referred to the nearest divisional police station. “We know it is a game!” he wrote.
The police have not officially responded to the theft allegation.
Mr Sowore, a feisty critic of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has made a habit of referring to him as ‘Illegal IGP’ – an expression of an intense disapproval of the tenure extension granted him by President Bola Tinubu last year.
His campaign against the extension of Mr Egbetokun’s tenure prompted the Nigerian police to file cybercrime charges against him in January.
The police charged Mr Sowore with 17 counts of cybercrime offences for referring to the IGP, Mr Egbetokun, as “illegal IGP” in a post on his social media platforms.
Mr Egbetokun, who was expected to have exited service having attained the statutory retirement age of 60 years in September 2024, secured an extended stay in office following a controversial alteration to the Nigeria Police Act passed by the National Assembly and assented to by MrTinubu.
The alteration allowed Mr Egbetokun to stay in office for up to four years as Nigeria’s police chief.
Mr Sowore denied the cybercrime charges
