“IGP Egbetokun Turned Himself To Chief Terrorist Of The Federation” – Activist Decries His Unlawful Arrest, Detention In Kuje Prison
Speaking after his release, Okere accused the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, of abusing power and turning himself into “the chief terrorist of the Federation.”
Human rights activist and lawyer, Okere Kingdom, has condemned his arrest and detention by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja, describing the experience as “illegal, brutal, and deeply traumatic.”
Speaking after his release, Okere accused the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, of abusing power and turning himself into “the chief terrorist of the Federation.”
“My arrest was so traumatic. The IG himself has become the chief terrorist of the Federation. You know, they say power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” Okere said.
“Because his regime was illegally sustained — the Police Act was illegally amended to have him as an absolute IG. That is why you see him exercising absolute power.”
Okere, a vocal critic of government impunity and a rights advocate known for his activism across the Southeast and South-South, said he was violently arrested in Utako, Abuja, while addressing journalists on the need for justice and equality in Nigeria.
“I was addressing the media — I was live on News Central, Arise Television, and other outlets — talking about why there should be justice for all Nigerians, irrespective of tribe,” he said.
“While I was still speaking, armed policemen swooped in and picked me up like a criminal.”
According to him, his only “offence” was telling the truth about how the Nigerian state continues to marginalise certain regions — especially the Southeast.
“I was very vocal and point blank to say that Nnamdi Kanu is being held because he is an Igbo man,” Okere stated.
“I gave instances where the former Governor of Kaduna State accused the National Security Adviser of paying and arming bandits — and yet, nothing happened. Nobody was arrested or questioned. But the moment you speak up against injustice in this country, the police come after you.”
Okere condemned what he called the “politics of insecurity” in Nigeria, accusing the government of using selective justice and intimidation to silence dissenting voices.
“I told them to stop these politics of insecurity and stop victimising people from the Southeast because we are vulnerable,” he said.
“Every citizen should be treated equally no matter where they come from. If you are an Igbo man, you should be treated as a Nigerian. I refuse to live in a country where I will be treated as a second-class citizen.”
He explained that the police had no legal basis for his arrest since the supposed court order only barred protesters from approaching the National Assembly and the Three Arms Zone, not from speaking to the media.
“The purported court order was that protesters shouldn’t go near the National Assembly or the Three Arms Zone. I was at Utako, far from those areas, addressing the press. So I am asking: when did addressing the press become an offence in this country?”
Okere vowed to sue the Inspector-General of Police for unlawful arrest, detention, and violation of his fundamental human rights.
“Now that I’m out of this illegal, brutal detention, I will take him to court and demand damages,” he said. “When did addressing the press become an offence in this country? That was the only ‘crime’ I committed.”
The activist also accused the Tinubu administration of sliding the country into a full-blown police state where free speech and civic expression are treated as threats to national security.
“This government is turning Nigeria into a police state,” Okere warned. “Citizens, journalists, and activists are now targets for simply speaking up. But we will not be silent. We will continue to resist oppression with the power of truth.”
Okere’s arrest came amid growing outrage over the Nigerian Police’s violent suppression of peaceful protests in Abuja and other cities — including the use of tear gas and brute force against journalists and civil society figures who gathered to demand the release of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and to call for justice and equality across Nigeria.
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