Deji Adeyanju, a public interest lawyer, has written to the United States Embassy in Nigeria to slam a visa ban on Olumuyiwa Adejobi, an assistant commissioner of police and the spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force. The lawyer premised the petition on Adejobi’s repeated clampdown on free speech.
Writing the petition on behalf of Deji Adeyanju & Partners, Adeyanju cited various instances of Adejobi’s social media utterances where he labelled insults on police officers as criminal offences.
The lawyer also referenced how Adejobi ordered the arrest of Thomas Olamide, a Facebook user, for insulting him, Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun and President Bola Tinubu.
READ ALSO: Police Under FPRO’s Directive Arrest Rights Advocate Olamide Abiodun Thomas in Lagos
FIJ had reported some of the cases cited in the petition.
On many occasions, Adejobi tried to justify policemen’s routine misconduct and gross violations of citizens’ fundamental rights. In January, he was widely criticised when he posted on X that police officers were empowered to break into people’s homes any time of the day to effect an arrest.
“We urgently appeal to the United States of America to impose a visa restriction on Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the current Force Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police Force,” the petition written on Tuesday read.
First page of the petition.
“ACP Adejobi’s public statements and actions have demonstrated a blatant disregard for fundamental human rights, particularly freedom of speech. On multiple occasions, he has asserted that insulting police officers is a criminal offence in Nigeria, an assertion that legal experts and human rights advocates have widely condemned.
“For example, in a widely circulated tweet on March 29, 2023, ACP Adejobi stated that “hurling insults at Police Officers carrying out their legal duty is criminal and punishable by the criminal laws of Nigeria”. This statement was made in response to a viral incident involving musician Habeeb Okikiola (Portable), in which Adejobi labelled his behaviour as “unruly” and inciting violence against officers.
“Furthermore, he reiterated this stance in a Facebook post, declaring that attacking or even verbally insulting police officers is an act of disrespect to Nigeria itself.”
Adejobi was also accused of masterminding the arrest of Destiny Ekhorutomwem, a TikToker, who was eventually given an outrageous police bail of N2 billion worth of assets.
Adeyanju implored the embassy to extend travel restrictions to members of the police image-maker’s immediate family.
Second page of the petition.
“Additionally, in December 2024, activist and nurse Olamide Thomas was arrested and detained at the instance of Mr Muyiwa Adejobi after she posted a video on social media in which she expressed her grievances against President Bola Tinubu, Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and ACP Adejobi himself. Her arrest and subsequent detention have been viewed as a direct attack on freedom of expression and an example of the misuse of power to suppress dissent,” the lawyer wrote.
“Furthermore, Destiny Ekhorutomwem, a TikToker, was arrested and detained by the Nigerian police for cyberbullying and cyberstalking under the orders of ACP Adejobi. He was given an impossible bail condition requiring four sureties with assets valued at N2 billion. While in custody, he collapsed and was rushed to the National Hospital in Abuja. His medical records indicate that he has been battling severe health conditions, yet Adejobi has refused to grant him necessary medical care.
“Most recently, ACP Adejobi took his abuse of power a step further by ordering the arrest and detention of a Nigerian citizen over a Twitter comment. According to reports, Adejobi used his position to unlawfully detain Mr Charles Uche Ihedioha simply for expressing an opinion online. This incident underscores his pattern of using state power to silence critics, violating both Nigerian laws and international human rights standards.
“When Mr Daniel’s father, Mr Nathaniel Ihedioha, went to the police station to see his son, ACP Adejobi ordered that the officers who granted him entry be locked up. This action further highlights Adejobi’s power-drunk tendencies and his blatant abuse of authority.
“In addition to his crackdown on free speech, ACP Adejobi has continued to defend and enable police brutality in Nigeria. In a recent report, he justified excessive force used by officers and dismissed calls for accountability, further proving his complicity in the continued abuse of Nigerian citizens. His persistent refusal to hold officers accountable has fostered a culture of impunity within the Nigeria Police Force, where human rights violations are met with silence or outright endorsement.
Third and last page of the petition.
READ ALSO: Police Quietly Release TikToker Destiny Ekhurutomwem, Afraid He Could ‘Die in Detention’
“These public statements demonstrate ACP Adejobi’s opposition to free speech, a core democratic value upheld by the United States. His position encourages authoritarian policing and suppresses dissent, contributing to an environment of fear and intimidation in Nigeria.
“In some of these cases, I personally intervened and appealed for their release, but Adejobi outrightly told me that he would not release them and that they would be punished. This blatant abuse of power and disregard for fundamental. human rights should not go unaddressed.
“Given these serious concerns, we urge the United States to consider imposing a visa ban on ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi to deter further human rights abuses. We also request that this visa restriction be extended to members of his immediate family, as has been done in similar cases involving officials engaged in rights violations.”
The post ‘Impose Visa Ban on Anti-Free Speech Adejobi’, Deji Adeyanju Petitions US Embassy appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.