The Nigerian Police Force is notorious for impunity, but every now and then, an incident emerges that starkly exposes the rot within the system. One such case is the conduct of former Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, who is accused publicly and officially, without any denial, of directing an uniformed agent into violently snatch Omoyele Sowore’s Ray-Ban eyeglasses during a public protest.
At first glance, some may dismiss this act as trivial. But beneath that surface lies a far deeper problem: the reckless abuse of power, the disdain for citizens’ rights, and the audacity of a supposed law officer to act outside the law he is sworn to defend.
The Nigerian Constitution is clear. Section 34 guarantees the dignity of the human person; Section 44 protects citizens against unlawful deprivation of property. Adejobi’s alleged link with the snatching of Sowore AI Rayban glasses which was not denied till the glasses was returned by the police amount not only to public theft but also a violation of Sowore’s constitutionally guaranteed rights. To dispossess a citizen of his personal belongings by force is not only criminal—it is tyrannical.
The office of the Police PRO is meant to build trust between the police and the public. Adejobi used it as a weapon of intimidation. His behavior is not simply a lapse of judgment but an abuse of office, a deliberate misuse of state power for personal ends. This is precisely why the Nigerian Police remains one of the most distrusted institutions in the country—because its officers too often act as rulers over the people, not servants of the law.
Impunity Cannot Last Forever. In Nigeria, public officials frequently believe that power grants immunity. They act lawlessly, retire comfortably, and expect society to forget. But accountability is a debt that does not expire. Muyiwa Adejobi must know that the time will come when he will be compelled to answer for his records as the PRO of the most sensitive law enforcement organ who was too proud not to hold the the people he was to protect in contempt.
This is not about a pair of glasses—it is about the principle that no one, no matter their uniform or office, is above the law. If a police spokesperson can allegedly direct such petty tyranny against a citizen in the open, what happens behind closed doors, in the dark corners of detention cells? How many more rights have been trampled under his command?
This country cannot progress if lawlessness thrives. Muyiwa Adejobi stands as a reminder of the arrogance and impunity that plague the police. He may have hidden behind the uniform in his infractions, but the day of reckoning will surely come. And when it does, justice will demand an answer.
The people, human rights conscious and public interest inclined sections of the country, must not allow atrocities committed in public office to be swept under the carpet. Adejobi’s record of abuse should be documented, and when the wheels of justice finally turn, he must face accountability. This is how we build a society where law enforcement is subject to the same law it enforces.
Tope Temokun
Lawyer and human rights activist
