The Lagos State Police Command has declared activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore wanted over an alleged plot to stage protests that could disrupt public order and obstruct major roads in the state.
Commissioner of Police Olohundare Jimoh disclosed this on Monday while addressing reporters at the Iyana-Oworo section of the Third Mainland Bridge.
Jimoh said Sowore, convener of the Take It Back Movement, had ignored police warnings against mobilising demonstrations over the recent demolition of buildings in Oworonshoki, Lagos Mainland.
“We are closing in on Sowore and others coordinating activities intended to disrupt public peace,” the commissioner said. “He should report to the nearest police station or risk arrest wherever he is found.”
According to him, intelligence reports indicated that Sowore and his associates were planning simultaneous protests at strategic locations, including the Third Mainland Bridge, Lekki Tollgate, and Freedom Park.
Describing the plan as “criminal,” Jimoh said it could cause massive traffic disruption and pose danger to road users.
“It is only someone who needs medical examination that would attempt to block such a vital route used by thousands daily,” he added.
The commissioner said 13 suspects connected to the planned protest had been arrested, while Sowore was still at large.
He noted that investigations were ongoing to identify sponsors and collaborators.
Jimoh said security operatives had been deployed across major highways and bridges, with temporary roadblocks and diversions put in place to prevent breakdown of law and order.
“The Third Mainland Bridge was not designed to hold stationary weight. Any gathering on it could pose structural risks,” he warned.
On the controversy surrounding the Oworonshoki demolition, the police chief insisted 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 were fully in control of the situation.
“We are not sleeping. We will apprehend, investigate and prosecute anyone attempting to undermine public safety in Lagos,” Jimoh said, reaffirming that while freedom of expression is guaranteed, it must not be abused to endanger lives or obstruct public order.
