Chaos at Protest as Police Officer Allegedly Steals Sowore’s Glasses in Abuja
A protest for police retirees took a dramatic twist on Monday when a Nigerian police officer, allegedly dressed in plain clothes, reportedly stole the sunglasses of prominent activist Omoyele Sowore during a demonstration at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
The protest, led by retired police officers under the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, was organized to demand an end to the contributory pension scheme and push for better welfare and compensation. Sowore, a former presidential candidate and publisher of Sahara Reporters, joined the march in solidarity with the retired officers.
Eyewitnesses said tensions escalated when the protesters moved from the National Assembly to the Nigeria Police Force headquarters to submit their demands. It was there, according to Sowore, that a police officer snatched his AI Ray-Ban glasses during a heated moment at the protest grounds. The officer, allegedly in mufti, fled the scene while his colleagues reportedly made no effort to apprehend him.
Sowore took to social media shortly after the incident to call out the officer. In a post, he wrote: “This Nigeria Police Force officer, dressed in mufti, stole my AI Ray-Ban glasses at the Force Headquarters during #PoliceProtest today. His superiors are shielding him. Please DM if you know his name and rank as soon as possible!”
The protest itself focused on grievances over what retirees described as a “discriminatory and fraudulent” pension system. Many of the former officers expressed frustration over the federal government’s continued retention of police retirees under the contributory pension scheme, even after a 2019 bill was passed by the National Assembly to exempt them.
The demonstration also saw the retirees accusing police authorities of blocking petitions to the Inspector General of Police and even removing signed documents from their files. Placards with messages like “We Want Justice” and “Stop Stealing Our Pensions” were seen during the protest.
As of the time of reporting, the Nigeria Police Force has not issued an official response to the allegation made by Sowore. The silence has drawn criticism from civil rights advocates, who argue that this latest incident is indicative of deeper systemic issues within the country’s law enforcement system.
The alleged theft, though seemingly minor, has added fuel to calls for urgent police reform, transparency in pension management, and respect for protest rights.
With public attention mounting, observers are waiting to see whether the authorities will launch an investigation or continue to ignore what some see as yet another act of impunity.
