By Danjuma Lamido
By attacking the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over unfounded allegations of targeting Omoyele Sowore and Sahara Reporters, Richard Akinnola has once again displayed a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.
His recent statement is not only unnecessary but also reeks of bias and calculated blackmail.
The truth remains that the IGP has never singled out Sowore or Sahara Reporters for persecution. The Nigeria Police Force operates within its constitutional mandate, and no amount of propaganda can erase that fact. If Mr. Akinnola claims otherwise, he should provide evidence beyond baseless rhetoric.
More importantly, if he genuinely cares about the rule of law, Akinnola should point out where notorious terrorists and bandits like Bello Turji can be apprehended. Nigerians are certain that if Turji’s exact location were revealed today, the Federal Government would not hesitate to take him before a competent court to face terrorism, money laundering, and other criminal charges. Instead of shielding suspects with the guise of activism, Mr. Akinnola should channel his energy toward ensuring that real criminals are exposed.
Contrary to his misleading assertion, the IGP’s actions are not “unprecedented in a democracy.” They are consistent with the duties of the Nigeria Police as enshrined in the law.
There is no personal vendetta between the IGP and Sowore. As a lawyer, Richard Akinnola should know better than to obstruct due process with unguarded commentary.
The courts are available to test the evidence presented, and that is where Sowore’s guilt or innocence will be determined, not in the pages of newspapers or social media.
Furthermore, the Nigeria Police Force has the legal powers to investigate issues relating to terrorism financing and money laundering.
This does not in any way amount to usurping the responsibilities of the National Security Adviser or the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. It is laughable that Akinnola, a lawyer of many years, pretends not to know this.
Equally laughable is his insinuation that the IGP’s actions cast a negative shadow on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. Nothing could be farther from the truth. President Tinubu remains committed to transparency, the rule of law, and justice.
The attempt to drag his administration into a fabricated narrative of political persecution is cheap mischief and should be condemned by all right-thinking Nigerians.
If Akinnola is truly interested in fairness, he should focus on holding Omoyele Sowore and Sahara Reporters accountable for their ceaseless spread of fake news, propaganda, and defamatory publications.
He should refrain from blackmailing decent Nigerians and stop using his medium to malign public officers who are simply discharging their constitutional duties.
The rule of law must prevail. Richard Akinnola must therefore allow the courts to decide Sowore’s fate instead of attempting to incite public sentiment against the Inspector General of Police.
Danjuma Lamido writes from Yola, Adamawa State. email: danjumalamido2011@gmail.com
