Human rights lawyer, Tope Temokun, has written a petition to the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), demanding the immediate arrest of a police officer, one Aku Victor Chiemerie.
Lawyer Temokun is calling for the arrest of Chiemerie over the brazen theft of AI-powered eyeglasses belonging to pro-democracy activist Omoyele Sowore, during a peaceful protest at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
The protest, held on Monday, July 21, 2025, was organised to demand improved welfare and retirement benefits for Nigerian police officers.
Sowore and other activists, alongside some retired police officers, staged a peaceful demonstration at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, also known as Louis Edet House, in Abuja.
In a petition dated July 22, 2025, and addressed to the DIG, FCID, Tope Temokun Chambers accused Aku Victor Chiemerie, a camera operator attached to the police under the command of ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, of forcefully snatching Sowore’s specialised Ray-Ban eyeglasses during the protest.
The glasses, according to the petition, are not only medical but embedded with artificial intelligence technology and carry sensitive private data.
Temokun described the officer’s action as a “brazen act of theft in its most ignominious form,” noting that the glasses, which cost over N1 million, are medically recommended for Sowore’s eyesight and contain confidential personal information.
“It is important that we state categorically that the said glasses are not ordinary eyewear. They possess artificial intelligence (AI) functionalities and are medically recommended for Our Client’s eyesight. The glasses also cost over N1,000,000 (One million naira) in its market value estimation as of today,” the petition stated.
“More disturbingly, the glasses contain sensitive private data, including personal correspondence and recordings.”
The petition further accused the police officer of carrying out the theft under the protection and possible directive of ACP Adejobi, who is the spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force.
It alleged that other armed officers shielded Chiemerie as he fled into the Police Headquarters building, despite being caught on video committing the crime.
The petition continued: “As correctly informed by Our Client, we are aware that the entire episode of this ignoble event was caught on video and is now widely circulated online for your easy access, clearly depicting the image of the assailant, Mr. Aku Victor Chiemerie, in the act of criminally taking the glasses from Our Client.
“The footage further shows Mr. Chiemerie being shielded by fellow police officers as he fled into the Police Headquarters building, tightly gripping the stolen item, while Our Client and other protesters were prevented from pursuing or apprehending him.
“It is Our Client’s brief that this act was suspected to have been perpetrated under the tacit instructions of ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, who, as the official spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force, exercises command authority over Mr. Aku Victor Chiemerie and whose conduct emboldened this violation of law and trust. This is a damning dereliction of duty and a betrayal of public confidence reposed in the Force.”
Temokun lamented that rather than upholding the law, the police force on that day became a shield for agents of criminality.
He accused the Force of systemic failure and deliberate complicity in protecting criminal behaviour within its ranks, noting that the theft happened in full public glare with no attempt by other officers to intervene or apprehend the suspect.
“We are compelled to authoritatively reiterate the statutory duties of the Nigerian Police Force as encapsulated under Section 4 of the Police Act, 2020. Instead of upholding these sacred duties, officers of the Nigeria Police Force, in this case, became shield yesterday for agents of criminality,” the petition stated.
“That the said theft occurred in full view of multiple law enforcement officers, none of whom acted to arrest the suspect, is an indictment of the Force and underscores a systemic failure or deliberate complicity in criminal conduct.”
It said, “From the facts, there is no doubt that the act was committed with the intent to permanently deprive Our Client of his property. The refusal to return the stolen glasses, the shielding of the suspect from public apprehension, and the fact that the AI device contains sensitive and irreplaceable data which may now be compromised, all establish criminal intent.
“Even if the device were to be returned, the damage has been done and the original state of the glasses, especially its data integrity, cannot be guaranteed.
“As of the date of writing this petition, the glasses remain in the illegal custody of Mr. Aku Victor Chiemerie, a staff camera operator of the Nigeria Police Force, under the direct command and operational control of ACP Muyiwa Adejobi.”
The lawyer further demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of Aku Victor Chiemerie and called for the prompt return of the stolen glasses to Sowore.
He also demanded a public apology from the Nigeria Police Force for what he described as “a deliberate, pre-planned and well-orchestrated criminality,” warning that the matter must not be swept under the rug.
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