Rights group condemns Sowore for targeting female police officers

A women’s rights organization, HerRights Watch, has condemned what it called a “misogynistic and false campaign” by SaharaReporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, targeting female officers in the Nigeria Police Force.

In a strongly worded statement, the group’s Convener, Onyinye Eze, criticized an article recently published by SaharaReporters, which accused female officers serving under the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun — particularly ACP Bukola Kuti and DSP David Victoria — of benefiting from undue promotions.

Eze described the report as “a sexist smear rooted in gossip rather than credible journalism.”

She accused Sowore of using his platform to push a narrative that discredits women in service, suggesting that their rise is not based on merit but on inappropriate relationships — a claim she deemed both baseless and harmful.

“Is he saying women don’t deserve to be promoted or trusted in sensitive positions? That’s offensive and regressive,” Eze stated.

She explained that the criteria for accelerated promotions are transparent and that ACP Bukola Kuti met the standard by winning two Police Service Merit Awards — a recognized path to advancement in the Force.

“She’s been in the police for over 10 years, while her current superior, the IGP, has only worked with her for less than two,” Eze said, dismissing any insinuation of favoritism.

Refuting claims that the recent promotion list was skewed in favor of officers from the South West, Eze pointed to North Central officers as the biggest beneficiaries.

She also noted that the majority of promoted officers were men, yet the report focused solely on a few women — a move she described as deliberate gender profiling.

“This isn’t investigative journalism. It’s misogyny disguised as journalism.

“Women are being made scapegoats to undermine police leadership,” she added.

Eze further challenged the credibility of SaharaReporters’ sources, describing the report as riddled with innuendos and sexist stereotypes.

She said Sowore’s history shows a pattern of disrespect toward women and accused him of using his media platform for “racketeering rather than justice.”

Calling for public resistance against such gender-based attacks, Eze urged Nigerians to focus on fixing systemic flaws in the police promotion process without tarnishing the image of hardworking women.

She also commended IGP Egbetokun for resisting political pressure to grant indiscriminate promotions, insisting that the current special promotion process followed set guidelines and standards.

Finally, she called on media practitioners to report responsibly and urged regulatory agencies — including the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Communications Commission, and human rights organizations — to investigate the SaharaReporters article and take steps to protect women in public service from slander and defamation.

“We must not allow media recklessness to create a toxic environment for women in uniform. Enough is enough,” Eze declared.