Human Rights Activist and Sahara Reporter publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has condemned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, for the alleged lawlessness of Nigerian police officers. Sowore stated on social media, “The Nigeria Police Force has been ruined by illegal IG, Kayode Egbetokun, under him, the Nigeria Police Force has become a mercenary force for fraud”
This criticism comes after police officers invaded an Abuja hospital on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, attempting to arrest Akpa Achema Stephen, an inpatient with life-threatening injuries, despite a subsisting court order prohibiting the arrest. The patient, diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder and peptic ulcer disease, was brought to the hospital from police detention with complaints of bloody stool.
Human rights lawyer, Marshal D F Abubakar, emphasised that the police must respect the patient’s right to life, stating, “The right to life of the inpatient must be respected as only a person that’s alive that can stand trial.” He also noted that the police are not above the law and must adhere to the court order.