•Accuses IGP of waging a war of vendetta, personal battles using public funds

Frontline pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has strongly criticised the Abuja Federal High Court and the Inspector-General of Police “for weaponising the Court’s ex-parte order to go after one of Nigeria’s most respected human rights activists: Mr. Omoyele Sowore who is also a publisher of a globally recognised SaharaReporters.”

HURIWA in a statement issued on Wednesday described the charges of terrorism sponsorship against the publisher of SaharaReporters as “senseless, unreasonable, nebulous, unsubstantiated and malicious.” It asked the Nigerian Police Council and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stop the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, “from dissipating scarce financial resources of the Nigeria Police Force generated by Nigerian taxpayers in vainglorious pursuit of a callous use of the instrument of his office in a way that is obviously oppressive and distasteful to target Sowore who has consistently maintained that the IGP should have been retired rather than get an illegal extension of service through a choreographed amendments and retroactive application of the Nigerian Police Act of 2020.”

“We are also condemning the Federal High Court for enabling the illegal trials of Omoyele Sowore by the IGP on diverse unproven and phantom charges just as we are of the considered opinion that for a court to grant an ex parte order on such flimsy ground as formulated by the IGP who is just engaging in shadow boxing and personal vendetta against Omoyele Sowore is to put it mildly very reprehensible and odious. How can the IGP level a charge of terrorism on a human rights activist only because the person has maintained an opinion declaring the continuous stay in office of IGP by Kayode Egbetokun who is above 60 years which is the retirement date from the public service as provided for by extant public service Act? The President should immediately ask the IGP to stop misusing public funds to engage in his personal battles framed deceptively as matter of public importance. This is an abuse of power which offends the provision of the Constitution that stipulates that government must eradicate all traces of abuse of office and misuse of power,” HURIWA said in the statement signed by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko.

The rights group recalled that the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday directed six commercial banks to furnish the Inspector-General of Police with full account details and transaction records of Sowore, from January 2024 to date.

Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order following an ex parte application by the IGP’s lawyer, Wisdom Madaki.

Specifically, HURIWA recalled that the police said Sowore is under investigation for alleged terrorism financing, money laundering, and other fraudulent activities. At least 26 bank accounts linked to him, including those operated by Sahara Reporters Media Foundation and the African Action Congress, are reportedly under probe.

In the motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1757/2025, Sowore and Sahara Reporters Media Foundation were listed as 1st and 2nd respondents, while United Bank for Africa Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Opay Digital Services Ltd, Moniepoint, and Kuda Microfinance Bank Ltd were joined as 3rd to 8th respondents.

The police sought “an order directing UBA Plc, GTB Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Opay Digital Services Ltd, Moniepoint, and Kuda Microfinance Bank Ltd to furnish the applicant, through the IGP Monitoring Unit, with the account opening package/mandate card and certified true copies of statements of account reflecting transfers and account numbers of both inflows and outflows from January 2024 to date.”

In a supporting affidavit, Bassey Ibrahim of the Force CID Legal Section alleged that intelligence reports linked the accounts to terrorism financing and laundering of funds, including alleged financial support from foreign partners. He argued that access to the records was crucial for ongoing investigations.

Justice Nwite, in his ruling, agreed with the applicant.

“I have listened to the submissions of counsel to the applicant and I have also gone through the affidavit evidence. I am of the view, and so hold, that the application is meritorious. The prayer is hereby granted as prayed,” the judge held.

HURIWA however maintained that, “it is irrational and absolutely senseless for any public office holder to attempt to rope in a human rights activist in a wrongful and illegal prosecution which isn’t so different from persecution and waging of a personal war using the banner and finances of the Nigeria Police Force. This is totally unacceptable.”