Accuses Judge of Compromise as Court Denies International Passport’s Request
- Safiu Kehinde
Human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has reiterated the call for the retirement of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, warning the the Police Chief will be disgrace out of office.
Sowore stated this in an interview shared on his X handle shortly after being denied request for the return of his international passport by an Abuja Federal High Court sitting.
Recall that Sowore was arraigned on a three-count charge on alleged calling of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, an “illegal IGP” in series of posts on his X handle.
As contained in the charge sheet, the posts allegedly contravened the section 24(I)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 as Amended (2024) and punishable under section 24(2)(c) (ii) of the same Act.
Sowore reaffirmed his call for Egbetokun’s retirement as he alleged that the justice system had been hijacked by criminals.
The 2023 African Action Congress (AAC) Presidential Candidate also accused the judge of compromise.
“There is nothing about today that is strange to us.
“We knew as at yesterday where the judge was heading when he began to defend the Federal Government. Instead of the Police Prosecutors to defend the case against us in court, it was the judge who doing the defending.
“As they say in law, he descended to the arena himself which we saw today.
“An Inspector General of Police who is supposed to have retired refused to leave office.
“The Mbutu in the Police Force, Kayode Egbetokun will be disgraced out of the Police Force.
“He was supposed to have retired September last year. His coursemates retired en masse yesterday. He supervised it.” Sowore said.
He maintained that he is unsurprised by the court’s verdict as he charged his supporters not to allow the verdict restrict their movement.
“The judge has done its worst which is denying me passport that they had all along targeted.
“There is nothing strange about the judge’s decision today. We had known all along that they are all in bed together, denying me my right as a citizen of Nigeria.
“This is just one of the times that we are elected to our duties to fight for a country that citizens are not denied their rights.
“The truth is that there is no criminal justice system in this country.
“It is the reason why we keep on doing what we are doing. This is not a setback or anything.
“It is one of the things that ginger us in our duty to liberate our own country. They cannot hold the passport forever because they will never be in power forever.
“In fact, they will never be in power for too long because they have offended the basic principles of justice. They deny our people a lot of rights. This is just one of it.” He added.