Police have arrested the Publisher of Sahara Reporters, an online news medium, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, today, Wednesday. The police said that he was arrested over alleged threat to life and blackmail against a London based journalist, Lekan Fatodu.
Sowore was believed to still be undergoing interrogation in the hand of police at the Area ‘F’ command Ikeja as at 7pm today, Wednesday.
Report had it that he was picked up by policemen from his Lagos home following a petition by Fatodun, who in the petition which he addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, accused Sowore of publishing a story on alleged money laundry against him.
In the publication, Fatodu was alleged to be assisting Nigerian politicians to move money out of the country.
Police sources hinted that they were alerted yesterday evening of Sowore’s presence, consequent upon which they went for his arrest.
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos confirmed the arrest and said that she could not say if Sowore would be released later.
She said: “I confirm his arrest. He was arrested this evening over threat to life on Lekan Fatodu and blackmail. He is still under investigation.”
But Omoyele Sowore, on his facebook page said that he was attacked by Lekan Fatodu and his friends in Lagos and were taken to the CP’s office in Lagos.
After the police “intervened” soon as I was attacked by Lekan Fatodu and his friends in Lagos and were taken to the CP’s office in Lagos. ‘Turns out he was in on this, he pulled out a supposed petition written by Lekan from his hat after that he became very hostile towards me and ordered that we be driven to State CID, at Panti in Lagos. It is very obvious that this was planned between Lekan Fatodu and the police. They offered him unbridled support as he continued attacking me in the presence of the police. I could have been I am familiar with this style of the Nigerian police. We are now being driven to Panti in Yaba res of Lagos.”
Also Lekan Fatodu on his twitter handle @LekanFatodu wrote ‘BREAKING! I just got Sowore Omoyele of Saharareporters arrested for criminal defamation and blackmail and threat to my life and career.’ [myad]
