publisher of Sahara Reporters,
Omoyele Sowore, has been arrested
by men of the Lagos state police command arrested in Lagos.
According to The Vanguard, Sowore
was arrested over alleged threat to life
on Checkout International Magazine’s
publisher, Lekan Fatodu.
Sowore was arrested at his house in
Lagos and moved to area F at Ikeja on
Wednesday after Fatodu, lodged
complaint to police.
The police stormed Sowore's house
for his immediate arrest, following a
tip off that he was in the state.
In his defense, Sowore told Premium
Times that he was attacked by Lekan
Fatodu, publisher of UK-based
CheckOut magazine over a story
Sahara Reporters published about him
last year.
But Mr Fatodu posted a tweet saying
he “just got Sowore Omoyele of
Saharareporters arrested for criminal
defamation and blackmail and threat to my
life and career.”
Sowore said Fatodu attacked him after
he drove out of a restaurant situated
along Isaac John Street.
“I went with a friend to have lunch in a
restaurant and as we drove out of the place
we got on Isaac John Street,” Sowore
said.
“After driving for a few minutes, I slowed
down by a construction site on the road
and someone knocked on my window.”
Sowore said he immediately
recognised Mr. Fatodu and wound
down to greet him only to be
physically attacked and dragged out of
his vehicle.
“The construction workers and other people
around moved closer to intervene and the
police were called in,” he said.
The police took Sowore, Mr. Fatodu
and others involved in the incident to
Area “F” Command Headquarters,
also in Ikeja.
It was here that the Commissioner of
Police, Fatai Owoseni, said Mr.
Sowore should be transferred to the
State Criminal Investigation
Department in Panti, Yaba, Lagos.
“It is unfortunate that the commissioner
will treat such a brutal attack against me
this way,” Mr. Sowore said.
“The matter that was before him was only
about the immediate threat to my life only
for him to further endanger my life by
asking them to send me to Panti.”
Dolapo Badmus, the police
spokesperson in the state, said Sowore
was sent to Panti based on a petition
against him.
Badmus said the petition was filed by
Mr Fatodu and it involved criminal
defamation, blackmail and threat to
life.
“The commissioner received the petition
yesterday and he immediately referred it to
Panti for further investigation,” Ms.
Badmus said. “That is why he was driven
there for further investigation in his case.”
Badmus could not immediately say if
or when Mr. Sowore would be
arraigned before a court.
“The matter is still under investigation,”
she said.
Sowore said he believed Mr. Fatodu’s
attack against him was “strictly
because of the report and other
numerous investigations of Sahara
Reporters against him and his
benefactors.”
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