EditorCivil rights advocacy group,Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has condemned as despicable, brutish and unacceptable, the reported well coordinated attacks of activist Omoyele Sowore, orchestrated by suspected thugs of a political party during the Lagos City marathon race held on Saturday morning.
In a press release, HURIWA called for the arrest, prosecution of the political thugs who also unleashed violence on journalists, who were recording the physical attacks being carried out on Sowere and his entourage at the sporting event. The group said the failure of the police to act swiftly could be interpreted as a deliberate, failing to take steps to rein in the unruly thugs most probably because of the ongoing feud between Mr. Sowere and the Nigeria police over Sowere’s decision to criticise the police for allowing corruption to fester in the thousands of check points mounted by police all around Nigeria.
Join our WhatsApp Channel“We think that it is unjust that these brazen acts of violence was even allowed to happen during such a high profile sporting event organised by the Lagos State administration which attracted other athletes from outside of the shores of Nigeria. We wonder the security lapses that could have made these attacks possible.”
HURIWA recalled that recently, Mr. Sowere had a running battle with the police’s Inspector General, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, over the extension of his tenure despite the fact that he has reached the retirement age of 60, which snowballed into the arrest, prosecution of Sowere by the police and his subsequent bail by the Federal High Court, Abuja division which took away his travelling international passport as a precondition for his bail.
“Watching the live video footage of the brutal and savage attacks on Sowere and members of his team today, one is shocked that the police were not on sight for all pf the time that the attackers invaded the venue and started their violent crime. We are calling on the Lagos State police command to arrest and prosecute these political thugs just as we are demanding that this primitive act of violent crime, would not be hidden under the carpets. We call on politicians to play politics without bitterness just as we charge the Lagos State Government to ensure that justice is served in this instance.”
Media report has it that at the Lagos City Marathon, human rights activist and leader of the #RevolutionNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore, faced a harrowing attack by suspected thugs allegedly affiliated with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Sowore, who previously ran for the presidency under the African Action Congress (AAC), was participating in the marathon alongside his dedicated crew when the violence erupted.
The attack was indiscriminate, with the thugs not only targeting Sowore and his team but also assaulting journalists who were present to document the event. Many individuals suffered injuries, and their equipment—including cameras and other essential tools—was vandalized in the chaos.
In a distressing live video that was streamed, the brutal nature of the assault unfolded, revealing thugs physically attacking Sowore, his crew, and the journalists. One particularly disturbing moment showed a thug mercilessly gripping the neck of a journalist who was desperately trying to secure his camera, putting the journalist’s life in grave danger.
Attempts by the media to obtain a statement from the Lagos Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, did not respond to calls. The incident underscores the alarming risks faced by activists and the press, even in environments that are meant to promote unity and celebration.
