Femi Falana To Sue Police For Arresting And Torturing Sowore

Femi Falana (SAN)

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has peddled out that the former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, in the 2019 Presidential election, and Sahara Reporters Publisher, Omoyele Sowore has asked him to sue the Nigerian Police for torturing and violating his fundamental human right.

Polity Reporters noted that Mr Omoyele Sowore was arrested alongside his friends for staging a “crossover protest” in Abuja.

In view of that he had instructed his lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) to sue the Police. Confirming this, Falana in a text message to the media, said: “Since Mr. Sowore’s fundamental right to dignity has been recklessly violated by the police we have his instructions to press for charges against all the officers who subjected him to physical and mental torture in contravention of the letter and spirit of the provisions of the Anti Torture Act of 2017.

“Mr. Sowore who was covering an event at the time of his arrest has maintained that he did not breach any of the COVID-19 regulations. He has been detained indefinitely on the basis of orders “from above.

“The police officers who arrested Mr. Omoyele Sowore at Abuja on January 31, 2020, subjected him to severe beating and left him with bruises all over his body. As if that was not enough he has been locked up in the midst of armed robbery suspects at a notorious detention facility called abattoir maintained by the disbanded Special Anti Robbery Squad in Abuja.

“The physical torture to Mr. Sowore was prolonged by the refusal of the police to provide him with medical attention. Although Mr. Sowore’s injuries are being treated by his personal physician, the police authorities have refused the application of the detainee for bail even though the alleged offence of breaching COVID-19 regulations is ‘bailable’.