Protests: Sahara Reporters’ boss, Omoyele Sowore, criticised over inciting social media post

[dropcap]O[/dropcap]moyele Sowore, the founder of Sahara Reporters and former presidential candidate, has come under fire for his recent social media posts supporting the ongoing protests in Nigeria.

Following the first day of demonstrations, which resulted in the deaths of up to sixteen people, Sowore, currently abroad, used his X (formerly Twitter) handle to dismiss the appeals from security operatives to end the protests.

Also read: Organizers reject IGP’s proposal for confined protests

Sowore specifically refuted claims made by Kano State PPRO, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, who labelled the protesters’ actions as criminal and displayed photos of allegedly stolen items.

“This is not protest. But looting of innocent people’s properties,” Kiyawa stated.

Sowore responded by accusing Kiyawa of using old photos from August 7, 2011, to discredit the protesters.

He posted, “The @officialABAT regime already planned how to blackball Nigerians into submission even before this non-violent social change action(s) started; this was posted by the Kano State @PoliceNG PPRO on Facebook today. He was caught pants down because the same office had posted the same photos in 2011 on @facebook. The reason you must understand their game plan and stay focused. #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria #DaysOfRage #RevolutionNow.”

Sowore’s post has sparked mixed reactions. While many supporters felt encouraged to continue the protests, others called for caution, pointing out potential flaws in Sowore’s claims.

Former local government chairman in Kano, Engr Abdullahi Garba Ramat, accused Sowore of intentionally inciting people against the country by spreading misinformation.

Ramat provided several points to dispute Sowore’s claims, including:

1. In August 2011, Kiyawa’s account was not verified.
2. Kiyawa was not the PPRO of Kano police command in 2011; he was not even a police officer but a civilian undergoing a master’s degree programme.
3. Kiyawa was appointed as PPRO of Kano police command in February 2019.
4. The items displayed were recently stolen from Barakat store, with eyewitnesses confirming the events.
5. Tinubu’s name on a police traffic control booth would not have been present in 2011.
6. The date on the photos appeared doctored.

Ramat urged Sowore to be truthful and avoid inciting violence, calling for peaceful protests aimed at urging policymakers to reconsider policies such as fuel subsidy removal and Naira devaluation, which have adversely affected common Nigerians.