TIB Movement Defends Sowore, Rejects Call For Apology Over Police Promotion Criticism

The Gender Unit of the Take It Back (TIB) Movement has dismissed calls by some female police officers for activist Omoyele Sowore to apologise over his remarks on alleged sex-for-promotion practices in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

In a statement signed by the acting head of its Gender Department, Temitope Ayedogbon, the group described the demand as “dead on arrival” and insisted Sowore committed no offence by speaking out against what it called “despicable acts” within the force.

The movement said Sowore’s criticism was not an attack on all female officers but a call for rank-and-file policewomen to challenge the culture of trading sexual favours for career advancement — an issue it described as an “open secret” in many public institutions, including the NPF.

According to the group, such practices undermine meritocracy, devalue the achievements of women who earn their positions through hard work, and perpetuate systemic exploitation. It warned against using feminism as a shield for corruption, adding that Nigerian women in uniform and beyond “deserve better.”

The TIB Movement highlighted Sowore’s history of supporting women’s rights, citing his advocacy against discriminatory dress codes, defence of sexual violence survivors, and amplification of women’s voices in politics, education, and activism.

It urged policewomen to channel their outrage into demanding a verifiable public list of all recent promotions rather than targeting those who expose wrongdoing. The group also called on them to report abuses and stand in solidarity with all whistleblowers.

The controversy follows earlier accusations by the Kayode Egbetokun-led police leadership that Sowore was promoting mutiny after he demanded better welfare for personnel and improved pensions for retired officers, while also questioning the fairness of recent promotions.