Sowore Calls for Justice After APC-Linked Thugs Attack and Threaten His Team
A disturbing message circulating in WhatsApp groups associated with Bukola Olopade, the Director-General of the National Sports Commission and former Ogun State Governor, has emerged, threatening human rights activist Omoyele Sowore. According to SaharaReporters, the message, which was sent to former Governor Gbenga Daniel, read: “Someone needs to treat ASAP the f*** up of this cretin called Yele Sowore…”
This threat followed a Facebook post by Sowore, in which he accused individuals in Ogun State of committing multiple murders under the orders of then-Governor Gbenga Daniel. He criticized how these individuals have since moved to Lagos and Abuja, receiving high-ranking government positions as rewards for their crimes. Sowore’s post read: “They perpetrated numerous murders in Ogun at the behest of Gbenga Daniel and have subsequently relocated to Lagos State and Abuja, receiving lucrative positions as a reward. How many more lives must be lost before we collectively take a stand against their murderous actions? #RevolutionNow.”
SaharaReporters also reported that, during the 2025 Lagos City Marathon, Sowore and his team were attacked by a group of thugs. The situation escalated when a journalist covering the marathon was detained by individuals linked to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and was forced to delete camera footage that documented the assault on Sowore and his team. The assailants accused them of unlawfully occupying the “VVIP” section of the event, which led to a violent confrontation.
Eyewitnesses have identified Olopade as one of the individuals leading the group of assailants. During the altercation, the thugs targeted journalists, including a reporter named Ufuoma, who was physically assaulted, and his camera was seized. Ufuoma recounted his ordeal, explaining that after being assaulted, he was offered N2 million to hand over his camera and its footage. He rejected the offer due to the valuable content on his camera, and Olopade later confirmed the camera was in their possession.
After hours of pleading, Ufuoma was taken to Eko Hotels and Suites, where Olopade allegedly ordered the return of the camera but only after reviewing and deleting key footage. This footage included scenes of Sowore at the finish line and the moment Olopade’s thugs were involved in the attack. Eventually, the camera was returned, but not before the footage had been tampered with.
Olopade reportedly made several threats to Sowore during this time, overseeing the deletion of the footage. The Take It Back Movement swiftly condemned the incident, demanding a public apology from the marathon organisers and calling for the immediate arrest of Olopade and those involved in the assault. They described the attack as politically motivated aggression.
Olopade, however, denied the allegations, claiming that he was only trying to calm the situation down and that he had not threatened Sowore. He even pointed to a video posted by Sowore himself, suggesting that it showed him attempting to de-escalate the situation.
Omoyele Sowore, a fierce critic of the Nigerian government, has long been known for his activism against corruption and political injustice. As the founder of Sahara Reporters, Sowore has frequently exposed government scandals and abuses of power. His outspoken views have made him a target for political retaliation, with his past arrests—including by the Department of State Services (DSS)—further solidifying his position as an adversary of Nigeria’s ruling elite.
The Lagos Marathon attack marks yet another instance of Sowore facing intimidation and violence for his relentless pursuit of political change, corruption reform, and human rights in Nigeria.
