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Sowore Petitions US, EU, Police Authorities, DSS Over Release Of Thugs Who Attacked Him During Kanu’s Trial

November 9, 2021

Sowore in a petition addressed to the United States Embassy in Nigeria, European Union Embassy, Police Service Commission, Inspector General of Police and Department of State Services queried why Abdullahi released those arrested for assaulting him without investigation.

Human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore has called for the immediate investigation of CSP Abdullahi Hassan Abubakar, the Divisional Police Officer of the Federal Secretariat Police Station, Abuja over his involvement in the attack on his person by thugs in Abuja.

Sowore made the call, through his lawyers, in a petition sent to the Chairman, Police Service Commission; Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba; Department of State Services (DSS); European Union and the US Embassy. 

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However, the Police Authorities and the DSS have failed to respond to the petition dated October 25, 2021, and signed by his lawyer, Tope Temokun for Tope Temokun Chambers. 

"Our lawyers wrote to the IGP and DSS regarding the attacks on me and got no response," Sowore said. 

SaharaReporters had reported that some hoodlums suspected to be sponsored by the Nigerian government on October 21 attacked Sowore on the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja despite the heavy presence of security operatives there.

The human rights activist was denied access into the court by the security operatives. 

He was prevented from entering the court to witness the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), being held there, among other reasons. 

But as he was still talking to the security men, some hoodlums numbering about 20 arrived. 

The hoodlums then approached the activist and attacked him. It took the intervention of journalists around to rescue him.

However, the security agents including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Federal Secretariat Police Station looked on as the activist was being assaulted.

SaharaReporters gathered that the hoodlums came with a petrol bomb.[story_link align="left"]100398[/story_link]

Sowore in a petition addressed to the United States Embassy in Nigeria, European Union Embassy, Police Service Commission, Inspector General of Police and Department of State Services queried why Abdullahi released those arrested for assaulting him without investigation.

“We were briefed by our client that on Tuesday, the 21st day of October 2021, while our client was at the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja to observe 
and witness the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, he was attacked by some men, armed with petrol bombs and other lethal weapons, who alighted from a vehicle with registration number BWR 812 KM that conveyed them to the Court premises in a manner that suggested they were brought there by those authorities to wreak havoc and decimation on our client,” the petition signed by the activist's lawyer, Tope Temokun read.

“Our client informed us that he was amidst the officers of the Nigeria Police Force at the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja, when these suspected sponsored squad arrived in a vehicle and started an aggressive throwing of tirade and vitriol at him in the full glare of officers of the Nigeria Police Force to provoke him to react and prepare the ground for the planned attack.

“To the chagrin of our client, instead of the officers of the Nigeria Police Force present led by CSP ABDULLAHI ABUBAKAR HASSAN, the DPO of the Federal Secretariat Police Station, Abuja, who seemed to have fore-knowledge of the presence and mission of these attackers, to arrest the situation, it was rather bemusing to see him and these officers acting in a solicitous manner towards these attackers, which later encouraged them to attack Our Client right there before the eyes of these law enforcement agents.

“It is the brief of our client that CSP ABDULLAHI ABUBAKAR HASSAN, the said DPO of the Federal Secretariat Police Station, Abuja, was seen engaging the belligerent assailants, offering tacit support to whatever agenda they had and no sooner had CSP ABDULLAHI ABUBAKAR HASSAN, treacherously engaged with the attackers that day in the open than our client was violently attacked by these same assailants. It took the intervention of Journalists and other well-meaning Nigerians present at the time to be able to ward off the attack on our client.

“After the attack had been carried out and our client rescued by the courageous Nigerians who were present, the said CSP ABDULLAHI ABUBAKAR HASSAN, DPO of the Federal Secretariat Police Station, Abuja, when confronted by our client on his roles and his complicity, claimed he had arrested the assailants, only for him to release them without disclosing their identities or carrying out any attempt at investigating them.

“The same CSP ABDULLAHI ABUBAKAR HASSAN, the DPO of the Federal Secretariat Police Station, Abuja, had earlier arrested illegally and subjected our client to beatings and other degrading treatments on the 26th day of July for attempting to enter the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja, without any justifications whatsoever. 

“We therefore respectfully request sir, on behalf of Our Client, that you kindly cause an investigation into this matter by inviting CSP ABDULLAHI ABUBAKAR HASSAN, the DPO of the Federal Secretariat Police Station, Abuja, who led other police officers to the scene of this incident and who knew the identities of these assailants as he claimed to have arrested the attackers immediately after the attack, only for him to release them without a serious attempt at any investigation, for serious disciplinary measures from the commission, not only for justice to be availed to our client, but for the overall good of the society at large.

“While we await your immediate action on this matter, sir, we undertake to volunteer useful and helpful statements and evidence which include but not limited to pictures and videos of this incident to the commission in due course and we will appreciate it, sir, if this petition is treated with dispatch.”

DOCUMENT: Sowore Petitions US, EU, Police Authorities, DSS Over Release of Thugs Who Attacked Him During Ka... by Sahara Reporters on Scribd

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Human Rights