Cynthia Ezegwu
The Lagos State Police Command has declared activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, wanted for allegedly plotting to instigate public unrest and obstruct major roads in the state.
The state Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, disclosed this on Monday while addressing journalists at the Iyana-Oworo section of the Third Mainland Bridge.
Jimoh said Sowore, who leads the Take It Back Movement, ignored repeated police warnings against mobilising protests over the recent demolition of houses in the Oworonshoki area of Lagos.
“We are closing in on Sowore and others involved in coordinating activities intended to disrupt public peace. Sowore should surrender at the nearest police station or face arrest wherever he is found,” the commissioner said.
He cautioned that anyone attempting to block roads or incite disturbances would “face the full weight of the law.”
According to the police boss, intelligence reports revealed that Sowore and his associates were planning to hold simultaneous demonstrations at strategic locations, including the Third Mainland Bridge, Lekki Tollgate, and Freedom Park.
Describing the alleged plan as “criminal,” Jimoh warned that such activities could cause severe traffic gridlock and pose risks to public safety.
“It is only someone who needs examination that would attempt to block such a vital route used by thousands daily,” he said.
Jimoh revealed that 13 suspects linked to the planned protest had already been arrested, while Sowore allegedly fled. He added that investigations were ongoing to uncover the sponsors and collaborators behind the alleged plan.
The commissioner stated that police officers had been deployed across major highways and bridges, with temporary roadblocks and diversions set up to prevent disruptions.
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“The Third Mainland Bridge was not designed to hold stationary weight. Any gathering on it could pose structural risks,” he noted.
Addressing public concerns over the Oworonshoki demolitions, Jimoh maintained that affected residents had been compensated.
“The government compensated those affected, and the media witnessed it. There is no justification to provoke a crisis under the guise of protest,” he said.
He urged Lagos residents to remain calm and go about their normal activities, assuring that the police and other security agencies were fully in control of the situation.
“We will apprehend, investigate, and prosecute anyone attempting to undermine public safety in Lagos,” Jimoh declared, stressing that while citizens have the right to free expression, such rights must not be abused to create public disorder.
Sowore had recently vowed to lead protests against the demolitions in Oworonshoki, accusing authorities of displacing residents without due process—a claim the police and state government have denied.