Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has spoken against the alleged assault and maltreatment of activist Omoyele Sowore, calling it a personal vendetta.

Sowore was reportedly manhandled on Thursday morning when officers attempted to move him from detention to court.

He had honoured a police invitation linked to allegations of forgery and criminal defamation.

Despite Sowore’s demand for transparency before appearing, the police have yet to disclose the full details of the petition.

Condemning the development, Atiku described the incident as a “shameful abuse of power” and an act of personal vendetta by the Nigerian Police Force.

Speaking via his X handle, Atiku penned, “The treatment of @YeleSowore by the IGP Monitoring Team is a shameful abuse of power. It is wrong, unlawful, and must be condemned by all who believe in justice.

“Sowore’s only offence is speaking out against injustice, nepotism, and misrule. For that, he was reportedly attacked at dawn, beaten, had his arm broken, and sprayed with chemicals by policemen acting on petitions from the IGP’s own office. This is a personal vendetta, not policing.

“No police officer shall institute any legal proceeding in his own personal interest or in connection with matters arising out of his public duties.

“The IGP cannot be a complainant and still deploy the force to carry out his grievance.

“This is not about Sowore alone, it is an attack on every Nigerian who dares to speak truth to power. This must stop.”

The sun