Stop harassing SaharaReporters publisher, Joe Igbokwe tells police.

The spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe, has asked the Nigerian police to stop further harassment of the publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore.

Mr. Sowore has been to the police station in Lagos twice after he was reportedly assaulted on January 9 by one Lekan Fatodu over a report by the newspaper detailing how Mr. Fatodu was allegedly used as a front by former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, to corner public funds.

Mr Fani-Kayode, who is being prosecuted for corruption, has denied any wrongdoing and accused the anti-graft agency of witch-hunt.

There was a twist in the case when the police instead of investigating the reported assault on Mr. Sowore, became more interested in the allegation of criminal defamation made by Mr. Fatodu against the SaharaReporters publisher.

Mr. Sowore has been invited again for a meeting on Thursday with the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigations Department, SCID, in the state.

The police did not disclose the purpose of the meeting.

Mr. Sowore, who received the police invitation on Monday through a text message sent to him, said he would honour the invitation which falls on his birthday.

Meanwhile, the APC spokesperson in Lagos, Mr. Igbokwe, thinks it would be better for the police to leave the publisher alone.

“I am begging the Nigeria police to allow Sowore to be,” Mr. Igbokwe said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

“This guy is a professional protester, a diehard activist and an international advocate of the people’s cause”.

PREMIUM TIMES spoke with Mr. Igbokwe who confirmed his authorship of the Facebook post.

Mr. Igbokwe in the Facebook post extolled Mr. Sowore’s tenacity to fight for whatever he believes in, and described the publisher as being “a rare gift to Nigeria at a time like this”.

“All the money in the world cannot be used to buy this man. Let us celebrate this brave man, instead of harassing him.”