Mixed reactions have trailed the refusal of Human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore to obey the order of some men of the Nigerian Police Force for a stop-and-search process.
In a video he posted online, the former presidential candidate was heard chastising the policemen for causing traffic along “airport road”.
Some of the officers handling the stop-and-search then ordered the activist to park his car for a search, Sowore, who was sitting in the front passenger space, insisted that he wasn’t going to park the car.
“Go and call your commissioner, I no go park,” Sowore told the policemen.
One of the policemen who seemed like the boss later ordered the officers to allow Sowore go, to which one of the officers said, “God go punish you”.
The incident has generated diverse reactions amongst netizens. While some supported the activist, others condemned him for disregarding the officers.
One Olamide Lawal wrote, “This your action is the height of absurdity and display of your arrogance.
Are you too big to pack or what??
Stop denigrating security officers because if there are security lapses, people like you will not let us hear word.”
Another Facebook user, James Harnu Peterside, wrote, “I may not be a member of AA but this is my office area and where I lived for a year before endsars. Those policemen does a lot of shady jobs there. What they do there is extortion of youth that drives and e-hailing drivers. So if I am rushing to catch up with flight one will be delayed for reasons that it measure had been put in place inside the airport?”
„But to be honest, this one isn’t right. In this particular situation, the “I no dey park” insistence isn’t the best. You should have obeyed the men in uniform first, then speak your mind. Someone else who’s a nobody may want to replicate what you did here and get ‘picked’ and intimidated and you will not be there to speak for them,” a user, Vaylight English wrote.
Femi Owonikoko said, “How a normal human being for this Nigeria still hates Sowore always baffles me. The last man standing.”
Clem Aboderin said, “Sowore needs a mental check. Is anything wrong with the police stopping vehicles?”
“The moment they realise it’s Omoyele Sowore, they became humble and got lost and stop the bride collection,” Ojediran Samuel said.
