Sowore Omoyele, publisher of Sahara Reporters has been arrested in Lagos, Nigeria and is currently holed up at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Panti, Lagos.
The spokesperson for the Police Command in Lagos State, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the arrest.
She said Sowore was arrested in his home in Lagos by policemen attached to Area ‘F’ command, Ikeja.
She added that the arrest followed a petition by Fatodun, alleging that Sowore published a story alleging that he (Fatodun) was involved in money laundering.
The police spokesperson said the publication alleged that Fatodun was assisting politicians to move money out of the country.
“The publisher was arrested this evening over threat to life and blackmail. Investigation is still going on,” she said.
Also, Lekan Fatodu, a journalist, announced the arrest on Twitter, saying he facilitated Sowore’s arrest for “criminal defamation and blackmail”.
“I just got Sowore Omoyele of Saharareporters arrested for criminal defamation and blackmail and threat to my life and career,” he wrote.
Sowore later took to Facebook to narrate his own side of the story.
“I was physically attacked today by a gang led by Lekan Fatodu… he assaulted me before police officers at Area “F” in Ikeja in Lagos,” he wrote on Facebook.
“After the police intervened soon as I was attacked by Lekan Fatodu and his friends in Lagos, we 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”
However, in a Facebook post about his arrest, Sowore accused the police of being hostile towards him. He also said they planned his ordeal with Fatodun. He accused Fatodun of assaulting him in the presence of the police.
“After the police “intervened” soon as I was attacked by Lekan Fatodu and his friends in Lagos we were taken to the CP’s office in Lagos,” he said.
“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 am familiar with this style of the Nigerian police. We are now being driven to Panti in Yaba.”
