Yesterday, news got out that Sahara Reporters Publisher
Omoyele Sowore was arrested after a UK-based journalist,
Lekan Fatodu, petitioned the state police over a report
Sowore wrote alleging that he was used to launder money by
former Aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode.Both Sowore and
Fatodu were subsequently taken to SCID in Panti and
released afterwards. This morning however, Sowore took to
Facebook to say the Lagos state police plans to arraign him
in court on phony charges (Read Here ).
LIB had an exclusive chat with the State Commissioner of
Police, Fatai Owoseni who narrated the events leading up to
the arrest and described Sowore’s claims as ‘Completely
False’.
In his words , ‘That fellow, Sowore was the one that made a
distress call to the police yesterday that he was being attacked
by armed robbers at Isaac John, Ikeja and Police in Lagos in its
usual manner responded immediately to the distress call only
for the officers to get there and find out that it was a false
distress call which in the first instance shouldn’t have been
made by someone who should know better. We found out that
there was no armed robbery going on, rather it was a case of
altercation between himself and Lekan Fatodu’.
‘The officers that went there who thought it was a genuine
distress call brought the two of them to my office and the
preliminary enquiry that was made after I had interrogated
them was that Lekan Fatodu had earlier lodged a complaint of
criminal defamation of character, blackmail and extortion
against Sowore which had earlier been referred to the state
criminal investigation department and thereafter asked both of
them to taken to the investigating office at Panti where they
would make their statement with regards to the pending case
against Sowore’.
‘Upon their statement being recorded yesterday, none of them
especially Sowore was detained by the police, the two parties
were only asked to report back today.
‘We are doing our work in a responsible manner, allegations
have been made and it is the work of the police to investigate
criminal complaints. That Investigation is on-going and I want
to assure you that the police in Lagos will be fair and just, and
we’ll make sure that professionalism is exhibited in the course
of investigating that case and ensure that justice is done and I
want to appeal to you that in as much as you may want to
sympathize with your colleague on social media, you should
also try as much as possible to be in touch with us so that we
can keep you abreast of developments in that case rather than
speculating and writing insinuations in reporting that incident
while we expect Sowore as well to ensure that whatever he
posts on social media is done responsibly’.
‘He has made some assertions in what he’s posted on social
media today which are completely false and that is why we
always emphasize responsible reportage and dissemination of
information’.
so we are using this medium to reach out to him that while he
has the opportunity to use the social media, he should not use
it irresponsibly to blackmail anyone and being a member of the
media does not stop him from being called in to account for
any criminal act he may have committed’.
Written By Adedayo Showemimo
