Sowore discharged from hospital, says ‘I was shot by police at Abuja rally’

The Convener of the #RevolutionNowMovement, Omoyele Sowore, has been discharged from the hospital.

Sowore was injured during a scuffle with the police at Monday’s rally in Abuja.

The rally was organized by a civil society group to protest the worsening insecurity in the country

The activist, who addressed journalists shortly after he was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, recalled how he was treated by police at the rally.

Sowore said he was shot by police at the rally.

He also dismissed the police claim that nobody was shot at the Unity Fountain, venue of the rally.

The spokesperson of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, Maryam Yusuf, had said in a statement that nobody was shot at the rally

She added that police officers professionally restored calm at the venue of the protest.

But Sowore dismissed the claim as false.

The activist added that police officers deployed to the venue of the rally tried to prevent other protesters from rescuing him after he was shot.

READ ALSO: FCT Police denies assault on Sowore, slams media reports

He said: “Mr. Femi Falana’s ASCAB invited us to a protest against growing insecurity in the country. I left home alongside other friends. Upon approaching the venue, we received intelligence that the police had locked the gate.

“We told the police officers that it is within our rights to protest. We argued that it was wrong to shut the gate of the venue against us but they refused. We reached the Commissioner of Police. He responded that he had no hand in it.

“When I looked back, I discovered that between three and five trucks loaded with police officers had arrived at the scene. We started singing solidarity songs and began to stream live on social media. From nowhere, a policewoman came and approached me with a federal riot gun.

“It is used in shooting projectiles or teargas. It is not meant to be used to shoot persons. At such a close range, she looked at me and said ‘Sowore, you are the one that is here’. She shot at me. I started to bleed. I noticed that blood was running underneath my trousers. I couldn’t walk again.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now